PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Portsmouth, Norfolk and Hampton all saw gun violence over the weekend, leaving at least two people dead and others injured. A local activist who lost his own son to gun violence is calling for change.
Around 8:40 Saturday night, a man was shot near Scope Arena in Norfolk. Police say several people were detained while investigators worked to determine what led to the shooting.
In Portsmouth, police are investigating two separate shootings that happened within an hour of each other early Sunday morning.
Officers responded to Frederick Boulevard around 12:20 a.m., where they found one person dead. Investigators are treating the case as a homicide and are searching for two persons of interest.
Local activist Bilal Mohammed knows the impact of gun violence personally. His son, Ali Mohammed, was killed in Norfolk in 2023.
Mohammed says too many people have lost respect for human life and the futures destroyed by gun violence.
"We get shot here, we get shot here, we get shot over there and we look at our fellas, friends, so called friends — 'yo bro, I took him out, I took him out' — no, you have damaged a future of a person," Mohammed said.
Then Sunday afternoon, Portsmouth police responded to Wool Avenue, where officers found an adult man suffering from a non-life-threatening gunshot wound. The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Meanwhile in Hampton, police are investigating two additional shootings, including one that left a man with life-threatening injuries and another where one person was found dead inside a home.
Mohammed says stopping the violence means reaching people before they become part of the cycle.
"Those that handle the guns, those that's circulating crime activity, we have to go directly to them and show them that this is a better way to live young man, there's a better way to live young lady," Mohammed said.
Police are continuing to investigate all of the incidents. Anyone with information is asked to contact local authorities.
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