Norfolk mass shooting: Two dead and five wounded as gunman opens fire at off-campus party near Old Dominion University
TWO people have been killed and five more injured in a mass shooting at an off-campus party near Old Dominion University.
Cops raced to the scene after shots were fired around midnight in Norfolk, Virginia.
The house was a couple of blocks away from Old Dominion University.
ODU said none of its students were among the victims, but nearby Norfolk State University confirmed that some of its students were among the wounded.
Police said four women and three men were been shot, with initial reports that two of the victims, a man and a woman, had life-threatening injuries.
Those two later died, with officials naming them as Zabre Miller, 25, and Angelia McKnight, 19.
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NSU confirmed that the shooting happened at a house party and that the students who were injured were bystanders.
Neighbor Precious Wood told WCNC that she initially thought the shots were fireworks.
She said: “I just heard a bunch of shots. I thought it was like fireworks. It almost sounded like it was hitting my house. It was like a, ‘pew, pew, pew!' It was very scary.”
Another neighbor, Bradley Rippee, told the network that he heard about 30 shots.
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He said: "I had people ducking on the porch. Running all around my house. Running all through their porch and their house."
Brittney Beamon, who lives one house down from the scene, told The Virginian Pilot that she heard several shots, however, no shots hit her house.
“We were just on the ground with our babies, making sure we didn’t get hit, making sure they didn’t get hit,” she said.
Zariah Johnson, a next-door neighbor waited for the gunshots to die down before peaking out her window.
“I saw a boy laying there with blood all over his face,” she told the outlet. “That was someone’s baby.”
Sentara Norfolk General Hospital went into lockdown after the shooting.
A spokesperson for Sentara Healthcare told WCNC: "For a mass casualty incident, it is prudent to limit access to the hospital for the safety of our staff and patients."
An ODU campus alert was sent at 12.46am: "O.D.U. Alert: Multiple police jurisdictions are investigating a shooting on the 5000 block of Killam Avenue. Please stay out of the area.”
At 3.43am, another alert was sent out notifying recipients that the “campus community may resume normal activities."
NSU also issued a tweet after the incident: “Norfolk Police have informed us that several NSU students have been the victims of a shooting at an isolated off-campus location near 50th Street and Hampton Blvd.
"NSU Police have secured the NSU campus. Counseling is being made available for any student in need of services.”
The U.S. Sun reached out to NSU and police for further information. The college, however, had no further comments.
No suspects have been named as of yet.
A statement for Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin read: "The governor is closely monitoring the situation and prays for a full recovery for the students and victims impacted by this devastating shooting.
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"As more details are uncovered, the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Bob Mosier and the Virginia State Police are coordinating with and offering assistance to local authorities."
U.S. Representative Bobby Scott, who represents the community in Congress, said: “I am monitoring the developments in Norfolk this morning, and keeping everyone involved in my thoughts,"