PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Portsmouth Police Department said a 16-year-old boy was seriously injured in a shooting in the area of Jefferson Park on Thursday morning.
The incident happened in the 1000 block of Madison Street. A supervisor with the city's dispatch services said they got the call a few minutes after 8:30 a.m.
According to the police department, the boy was found with a life-threatening gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital to be treated. Crime scene tape was wrapped around the parking lot in front of the Save & Save Supermarket.
Friday morning, a police spokeswoman said officers were looking for an older four-door Honda with tinted windows, which is considered a vehicle of interest. She sent this example of the type of car they're searching for:
After the shooting, community members called for change.
“It was heart-wrenching. You know first thing in the morning people waking up kids on their way to schools," said Stop the Violence 757 President Freddie Taylor.
Taylor said more collaboration with the community is needed between police and residents.
“I believe being in the area that it’s in, we need to do not only a community walk and prayer, but we need to go out there and engage the citizens within that community so that we can hear correctly what’s going on," said Taylor.
Marcus Scott lives in the neighborhood across the street from where the shooting happened. He said this is not the first shooting in his neighborhood. A few months ago, Scott said bullets came through his window and bedroom walls.
“I was like, thank you, Jesus. It’s not a side again because I went through it four times a bullet in my apartment here," said Scott.
Taylor and Scott hope the boy survives.
“My heart goes out to him and his family," said Scott.
The police department hasn't shared information about any possible suspects or what led to the shooting.
If you know anything that could help detectives, call the police department or the area's Crime Line at 1.888.LOCK.U.UP. Tipsters can stay anonymous, and if your information leads to an arrest, you could be eligible for a cash reward.