PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Portsmouth Police Department is investigating a shooting that left a man dead Monday morning.
The shooting happened in the 200 block of Paul Revere Drive, which is close to Deep Creek Boulevard and Frederick Boulevard.
Police officers responded around 1:45 a.m. and found Dalen O’Shay Spence, 25, dead with gunshot wounds when they arrived.
Neighbors said they heard several shots. A car riddled with bullet holes surrounded by evidence markers and crime scene tape is a sign of concern for many.
“We’re in the battlefield, in the middle of a battlefield,” said a woman who lives near the shooting.
She didn't want to identify herself because she fears for her life due to the violence in her neighborhood. She moved to Paul Revere Drive about a year ago and said the area never felt this unsafe.
“Peaceful, quiet," she said. "The only thing we had going on was kids doing mischievous things.”
Now, she said doesn’t let her children go outside after witnessing someone fire shots around her family. She said the violence is significantly impacting her life.
“If my niece hears anything loud, she’s holding her ears," she said. "So now I got to make her an appointment to go get her assessed for possible PTSD."
The battle against crime doesn’t end for the organization Stop The Violence 757.
“Anytime you hear of an incident like this, it makes you question, are we doing enough,” Freddie Taylor, the president of Stop The Violence 757, said.
Taylor said he's pushing his organization to build more relationships with communities in Portsmouth and keep young people engaged but he says it needs to be a whole-hearted effort.
“We need the community to be willing to partner even through their hurt that we can get this done,” Taylor said.
Stop the Violence 757 is also working on a back-to-school event on August 27. The goal is to provide resources to keep children safe during the school year.
This is an ongoing investigation. If you know anything, contact the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP or submit an anonymous online tip by clicking here.