PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A shooting near a Portsmouth daycare is now a homicide investigation.
The Portsmouth Police Department said just before 8 a.m. Thursday, officers were called to the 3500 block of King Street, not far from Airline and Frederick Boulevards.
When they arrived police found 34-year-old Rocco Nixon with life-threatening injuries. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died.
Police tell 13News Now the man was at Gifted Minds Academy daycare to pay a bill when someone shot him. Investigators said Nixon's children were in their SUV at the time of the shooting.
An employee at a utility company on King Street said he heard about five gunshots. He stepped outside where he saw a man face-down in the street in front of the daycare.
He and his coworkers got the children inside and performed lifesaving measures on their father.
"Myself and two other coworkers ran over there with some really large drop cloths and a couple of first aid kids until a paramedic pulled up on-scene," the employee said. "He was just driving by in his pickup truck and he jumped out too and all of us began trying to apply aid and take care of this man."
On Thursday night, police named 22-year-old Angel Peterson-Bryant as a person of interest. She was later taken into custody and arrested on charges connected to the shooting.
The shooting is still under investigation. You can also call the Crime Line anonymously at 1-888-562-5887 or also submit a tip online at P3Tips.com. You never have to give your name, and if your information leads to an arrest, you may be eligible for a cash reward.