NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The Newport News Police Department is investigating a shooting that left a teenager seriously hurt early Tuesday morning.
According to a news release, officers got the call to respond to the 1100 block of 36th Street shortly before 1 a.m. That's in the Washington area of the city near Roanoke Avenue.
Officers found a boy who was shot. According to police, he was taken to the hospital and is considered to be in life-threatening condition.
His name hasn't been released.
Investigators believe the shooting happened in the 1000 block of 38th Street, which is less than half a mile from where the victim was found.
More than 12 hours before shots rang out, Congressman Bobby Scott gathered elected officials and community activists for a conversation on preventing scenes like this from happening.
“Violence prevention is a long-term project," Scott said Monday. "You can’t do it overnight.”
Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew spoke on what the department is doing to engage with children and teens. He even addressed recent violence over the weekend.
“About 1:30 in the afternoon on a Sunday where people should be home watching football and hanging out, I’m in the middle of Jefferson Avenue," Drew said. "A 16-year-old young man that was suffering from a gunshot wound, fighting for his life.”
Drew said Monday some of this violence stems from situations in schools.
“Sunday, a school official came to the scene and we had some real conversation there about sharing information,” he said.
He hopes sharing information with school administrators is part of the solution to saving lives.
This is an ongoing investigation, and there isn't yet any suspect information.
If you know anything that can help police, call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP or submit an anonymous online tip by clicking here.