2 individuals were killed and 5 others were wounded by gunshots after a violence broke out at a party in Norfolk, Virginia, according to authorities.
When police arrived at a residence near Old Dominion University around midnight, they discovered 4 women and 3 men with gunshot injuries, according to authorities.
“The preliminary investigation reveals that there had been a party at that location that had been advertised on social media,” said Michael Goldsmith, the city’s interim police chief, at a news conference. “Apparently a fight broke out at the party, and once the fight started then somebody pulled out a gun and started shooting.”
Zabre Miller, 25, and Angela McKnight, 19, died later at a hospital, according to police.
“We are continuing the investigation in this,” Goldsmith said at the news conference with Mayor Kenneth Alexander, Norfolk City Manager Chip Filer and Norfolk Sheriff Joe Baron. “There were multiple firearms involved to include a pistol and a long gun.”
According to the university’s Facebook page, numerous Norfolk State University students were victims of the shooting at an off-campus location.
“Initial indications are that our students were innocent bystanders of a shooting at an evening house party,” the university wrote in the post.
Goldsmith stated that local authorities are collaborating with federal authorities on the investigation. Goldsmith insisted that the shooting was not a random act.
“This is not randomly picked,” he said. “These are, and this is what is frustrating about these things right now, people get into a disagreement, they pull out a gun, and then they shoot each other, and in the process of doing that they shoot innocent people who end up dying.”
