10 People Shot, 2 Fatally, in Virginia Beach, Police Say

At least 10 people were shot, two of them fatally, during what police called a “chaotic” night of violence in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on Friday, with two apparently unrelated cases of gunfire within blocks of each other.

Officers were called to a shooting on Atlantic Avenue at 20th Street in the oceanfront resort area at about 11:20 p.m., police said Saturday.

A group of people were involved “in some type of conflict that resulted in a physical fight,” police said. “At some point during the physical altercation, several individuals produced firearms and began shooting at each other, resulting in numerous people being wounded.”

Eight people were taken to the hospital with serious or life-threatening wounds, police said.

Three men were charged in connection with the shooting: Ahmon Jahree Adams, 22, of Chesapeake, Virginia; and Nyquez Tyyon Baker, 18; and Devon Maurice Dorsey Jr., 20; both of Virginia Beach.

They each face felonious assault and firearms charges, the Virginia Police Beach Department said.

Several minutes later, as officers were managing the initial crime scene and the crowd that had gathered, officers heard additional gunshots nearby.

Officers found a woman, identified as Deshayla E. Harris, 29, of Norfolk, Virginia, who had been shot at 19th Street near Pacific Avenue. Harris was a bystander and died at the scene, police said.

Authorities said they did not believe the two shootings were linked.

While officers were responding to the second call, an officer “encountered an armed citizen, which resulted in a police-involved shooting,” police said. That person, identified as Donovon W. Lynch, 25, of Virginia Beach, died at the scene.

Officials did not identify the officer who shot him. The officer was part of the Virginia Beach Police Department’s special operations division and had been with the department for five years, police said.

The police chief, Paul Neudigate, told reporters that the shooting involving the officer appeared to be unrelated to the shooting on Atlantic Avenue.

“What you can see is that we have a very chaotic incident, a very chaotic night in the beach,” he said. “Many different crime scenes.”

Also, at some point during the chaos, an officer was struck by a vehicle. He was taken to a hospital and has since been released, police said.

The police did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment Saturday.

Virginia Beach was the site of a mass shooting in May 2019, when a longtime public utilities employee opened fire on his co-workers with a handgun. He killed 12 people and injured several others. He died after an extended shootout with police.

The mayor of Virginia Beach, Robert M. Dyer, said the 2019 shooting and the coronavirus pandemic prompted the city to come together, and he expected that to happen after the shootings Friday night. “We’re a very resilient city,” he said.