PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Police are investigating after two boys were shot in Portsmouth, Friday afternoon.
One boy was found in the 3700 block of Deep Creek Blvd. around 2 p.m. Medics took him to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
A few hours later around 4:15 p.m., a boy showed up at a hospital with a gunshot wound. His injuries were not life-threatening.
Police did not say how old either of the boys is, but investigators believe the two incidents are related.
In the wake of the shootings, advocates in Portsmouth are once again calling on everyone to put the guns down.
Rickey Harrell is a board member for Stop The Violence 757, a nonprofit and grassroots movement working to combat the rising violence.
He said his group continues to work alongside community members to connect with youth and raise awareness, but it’s up to everyone - police, city leaders, and neighbors - to work together to address the root causes of violence.
“Anything is possible. We got to come up with something," Harrell said. “We can’t give up. Even though it’s still going on, we got to keep trying to change things because there’s got to be a solution."