SUFFOLK, Va. — Two men are dead and three other people are in the hospital after a shooting late Thursday in Suffolk, police said.
Friday afternoon at Suffolk Police Headquarters, Chief Danny Buie held a press conference where he expressed the department's desperate need for tips and information about the "senseless act of violence."
"At this time, we do not have any suspect information to share, and that's why having this press conference is so important," he said.
" ... We desperately need our community's help today to help us find the offenders in this offense."
Around 11:25 p.m. Thursday, emergency dispatchers received multiple 911 calls reporting a shooting in the 800 block of East Washington Street, the Chief said. Officers with the Suffolk Police Department (SPD) responded to the area and found multiple gunshot victims beside a business.
One man, 37-year-old William Eugene Goodman Jr., was already dead, Chief Buie said. Another man, 30-year-old Demonte Lamont Tillery, died later at the hospital.
Three others, two men and a woman, were taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. Police officials say they are all expected to live.
Citing a very active and ongoing investigation, the Chief said there are many details the department cannot share about the investigation at this time.
He did say that detectives are still collecting evidence and analyzing "numerous" shell casings found at the scene to determine what types of weapons were used and how many people fired guns. Several vehicles were struck by gunfire, and a least one was towed for further collection of evidence, he said.
Detectives are also analyzing video from nearby traffic cameras, as well as going door-to-door asking for any video footage from residences and businesses in the area.
Chief Buie also mentioned that detectives will talk to the individuals injured in the shooting, as soon as they are medically able to do so. For now, police are still not sure what the relationship is between those involved or why they were at the location where the shooting occurred.
"Please know that the Suffolk Police Department will do everything in its power to hold the people that are responsible for this incident accountable or their actions," Chief Buie said.
Anyone with information that could help investigators is asked call the Suffolk Police Department or message them on Facebook. People can also submit tips by going to the Suffolk Police Department website and clicking on the Suffolk Crime Line link, or via the P3 Tips mobile app or at www.p3tips.com. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by calling the Crime Line at 1-888-562-5887, Option 5.
"No tip is too small when it comes to holding those at fault accountable for their actions," Buie said.
