NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander, City Manager Chip Filer, Interim Police Chief Michael Goldsmith, and Norfolk Sheriff Joe Baron held a press conference Sunday afternoon after incidents of gun violence erupted across the city overnight, including a mass shooting and at least three fatalities.
Two people were killed and five others hurt after a shooting near Killam Avenue and 50th Street just after midnight.
There were at least four other shooting incidents in Norfolk overnight:
- 11:30 p.m. – 18th Bay Street, 1 person shot (police initially reported that 3 people were shot in this incident)
- 12:03 a.m. – Nicholson Street, 1 person shot
- 12:08 a.m. – Monarch Way, 2 people shot (near the Killam Ave shooting)
- 2:30 a.m. – North Military Highway, 1 shot and killed
The person shot on North Military Highway was identified by NPD Monday as 27-year-old Michael Rivera-Rubert. No suspect information was released.
The shooting on Killam Avenue was near Old Dominion University and happened at a house party off-campus, according to police. An ODU campus alert Sunday morning stated that no ODU students were involved. However, officials have said that several Norfolk State University students were injured.
In his prepared remarks, Mayor Alexander stressed the need for the city to prioritize safety for our communities, especially as children return to school.
"Students who enrolled in our colleges and universities deserve safe environments to live, learn, and build their futures," he said.
Interim Norfolk Police Chief Mike Goldsmith said in a press conference Sunday afternoon that people injured during the Killam Ave shooting were found at and around the scene when police arrived, and that some had already started taking themselves to the hospital.
“We are continuing the investigation in this there were multiple firearms involved to include a pistol and a long gun," said Goldsmith.
Goldsmith said the shooting happened just before midnight on Killam Avenue. He said they found four women and three men shot.
“The preliminary investigation reveals that there had been a party at that location that had been advertised on social media. Apparently, a fight broke out at the party and once the fight started then somebody pulled out a gun and started shooting.”
Goldsmith said they believe this was an isolated incident.
“As with most of our homicides, this is the result of conflict between people we think. So this is not randomly picked," said Goldsmith.
However, Goldsmith said it is still unknown if any of the other shooting incidents in the city were related.
Now two families have lost loved ones. Investigators say 25-year-old Zabre Miller and 19-year-old Angelia McKnight died at the hospital. Norfolk State University staff say that McKnight was a second-year pre-nursing student from New York.
“We are seeing more crime today than we saw six years ago and I think all of us are trying to figure out where that's coming from," said Filer.
The city manager added that said they’re planning meetings in the coming weeks to discuss additional initiatives.
Hours after the scene cleared, some community activists found shell casings at the scene.
“Some were underneath the car, some were next to the building," said Jason Inge.
Now they want to know what's being done in this investigation.
“Who is running the city? Why me, as an ordinary citizen coming out to survey what happened, and how I found this?" he asked.
Police officers with the forensics came back to the home and took the evidence.
It wasn't until 12 hours after the first shooting, and nearly eight hours after Norfolk Police Department's initial tweet, that police provided any further information about what happened.
"The citizens have spoken. They are demanding a city where everyone feels safe; a city that allows them to focus on building their careers, families, and communities," Alexander's statement continued.
"Public safety is a shared value and a collective effort. Maintaining a safe city takes more than an engaged police force, it takes community partners; it takes a holistic approach. Whether crime reports are exaggerated, underplayed, or accurate, one thing is certain: residents and corporate citizens are highly concerned about safety."
