VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A shooting at Mount Trashmore near the grounds of the summer carnival on Saturday evening is prompting community conversations about parenting and balancing children's safety.
Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate said a 15-year-old girl lost her life this past weekend and an 18-year-old man was listed in serious condition at the hospital ICU, as of Tuesday.
"When that happened, my heart broke. I cried. She was the same age as my daughter and having this happen to my son, I definitely can feel the family's pain but not to an extent that they do," said Emily Rigsby of Virginia Beach.
Back on February 13, a stray bullet from outside traveled inside Rigsby's home, injuring her young son Landyn Davis as he innocently played video games in an upstairs bedroom.
Landyn, who was 8 years old at the time of the shooting, would go on to spend approximately three months at Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters.
While there is a long recovery ahead, Landyn has proven resilient and was cleared to return home in time for a major milestone. He celebrated his ninth birthday Monday surrounded by family and friends.
"Being able to have him here and celebrate with him, it meant the world to us," said Rigsby, whose family's life was forever changed by the shooting.
Since the fateful night, Rigsby shared she's had to have tough conversations with her other children who are 13, 15 and 16 years old.
"They want to go out. They want to hang out with their friends. They want to go places and as a parent, seeing everything that's happening, it just worries me and I don't allow them to do certain things," said Rigsby.
Dr. Kurt Hooks, LPC-S serves as the CEO of Virginia Beach Psychiatric Center. He said forging candid conversations between parents or guardians and their children is key.
"The outcome is really what's essential, but what lays the groundwork for a successful outcome for that conversation is how we listen, how we exchange. We may not agree, but we may need to compromise," said Hooks.
He encouraged intentionality behind the discussions, which will vary depending on the family.
"That there's consensus about folks feeling comfortable having their kids go out and with whom for what types of events, under what circumstances and in what areas," said Hooks. "I think we've got to be probably pretty specific in those conversations each time there's that opportunity for a teenager to be out not [just] on their own necessarily but even with a group of peers."
Hooks recommended families remind children about the importance of staying aware and alerting adults when they're out and see something wrong.
Rigsby urged parents to get more involved. She said she's troubled by the access some children are having to guns.
"Parents need to step up. See what your kids are doing," said Rigsby. "Check their bedrooms, check their belongings for weapons. It's so easy for kids to acquire guns these days."
Rigsby stressed the reasoning for her plea; "To try to keep not only their kids safe but other other families safe."