2 dead, 5 injured following mass shooting on Killam Ave in Norfolk

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – Two people have died following a mass shooting incident on Killam Avenue in Norfolk early Sunday morning.

Norfolk Police officers were called to the 5000 block of Killam Avenue to investigate the shooting around midnight.

When officers arrived on scene, they found four women and three men suffering from gunshot wounds. All victims were transported to the hospital; two of the victims, a man and a woman, sustained life-threatening injuries and later died at the hospital.

The victims were later identified as 25-year-old Zabre Miller and 19-year-old Angelia McKnight. Norfolk State University says McKnight was a second-year pre-nursing student at the university.

The shooting happened a couple of blocks from Old Dominion University. Those who receive ODU campus alerts were sent one at 12:46 a.m. that said “O.D.U. Alert: Multiple police jurisdictions are investigating a shooting on the 5000 block of Killam Avenue. Please stay out of the area.”

The school says although the incident happened near campus, no ODU students were injured.

Norfolk State University issued a tweet confirming that several NSU students were injured in the off-campus shooting, including McKnight.

The full tweet says, “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.”

According to NSU, the Norfolk Police investigation has revealed that the shooting happened at a house party and the injured NSU students were bystanders.

NSU also said that they are offering counseling and supportive services to their students. Those who would like to make an appointment for these services can call 757-823-8173 and after hours at 757-823-9000 for immediate assistance.

During a news conference Sunday afternoon, Interim Chief of Police Michael Goldsmith said when officers arrived on the scene, they located multiple gunshot victims and some had already started to transport themselves to the hospital.

Watch the full press conference below:

Goldsmith continued by saying the party where the shooting took place was advertised on social media.

“The preliminary investigation reveals that there had been a party at that location that had been advertised on social media. Apparently, a fight broke out at the party and once the fight started, someone pulled out a gun and started shooting,” Goldsmith said.

Multiple firearms were involved in the incident, including both a pistol and a long gun, Goldsmith explained.

Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Alexander also addressed the recent violence. He said he wants the people responsible to be locked up.

“We want persons who commit crimes in Norfolk, arrested and prosecuted and put away,” Mayor Alexander said.

The mass casualty incident prompted Sentara Norfolk General Hospital to be placed on a temporary lockdown. Police officers from Portsmouth, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake responded to help control crowds.