VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Residents of Glenville Circle in Virginia Beach say they are contemplating moving after a man was shot and injured Monday afternoon in what they describe as an escalating pattern of crime linked to a missing fence.
The shooting has left neighbors living in fear, with some saying it represents the final straw in a series of safety concerns that began more than a year ago.
"I've lived here for 10-plus years and never had anything like gun violence in the neighborhood, and it probably solidifies it's time to move out of Virginia Beach," AJ Lawson said.
Virginia Beach police say the victim is in critical condition but did not release any other details including anything about a suspect.
Lawson and other residents trace their neighborhood's problems to January, when a fence separating their community from busy Kempsville Road was torn down and never replaced. They say the fence was removed because it was not up to city code.
"Around January 6th, there was a couple of drunk people ringing doorbells at 3 in the morning," Lawson said.
The missing barrier has created safety hazards for children in the community, residents say.
"We had a non-verbal autistic child wander onto Kempsville Road," Lawson said.
The child was not hurt, but neighbors say Monday's shooting represents the culmination of their safety concerns.
Residents offered to help repair the fence when the property owner cited financial difficulties, but their offer was declined, Lawson said.
"We offered to help them repair the fence because of financial problems they couldn't afford it, and they turned it down," Lawson said.
Instead, neighbors received what they considered an unreasonable counter-proposal.
"Venmo request for about nine thousand each for a total of 36 thousand," Lawson said.
Attempts to reach the property owner where the fence was located were unsuccessful. Councilman David Hutcheson was also contacted about potential city solutions but did not respond.
