Virginia Beach shootings leave 8 shot, two dead

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) – Two people are dead and eight people were wounded in shootings along Virginia Beach’s oceanfront, police said Saturday.

Eight people were shot just after 11 p.m. Friday, Virginia Beach police said in a news release. All eight were taken to local hospitals, with some of their conditions ranging from serious to life-threatening.

One woman died of a gunshot wound on the scene, the release said. At an earlier news conference, police Chief Paul Neudigate said the death possibly stemmed from an unrelated shooting.

The release also said one officer suffered minor injuries. Neudigate had said the officer was struck by a vehicle during the investigation.

A different officer fatally shot a man at the shooting scene. While officers were investigating the original shooting, shots were fired nearby, Neudigate said.

The officer confronted the man, leading to the deadly gunfire. The officer has been placed on administrative leave. He has been with the department for five years and is assigned to its special operations division.

The original shooting and the officer shooting were being investigated concurrently, the release said.

“We have a very chaotic incident, a very chaotic night,” Neudigate said during the news conference.

No suspect information was immediately available. Neudigate said several people were in police custody but their possible involvement in the shooting was still under investigation.

Multiple roads were blocked off throughout the night while police worked in the area.

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