CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) – A man who survived a deadly shooting in Chesapeake is sharing his story in hopes of helping others.
Antonio Roseboro was attending a block party in the Holly Cove neighborhood Memorial Day Weekend.
He says many families were out enjoying the event, and he was with his co-workers when the shots rang out.
“It was like a war zone out there,” he described.
Roseboro grabbed his two friends, hitting the ground to avoid the bullets.
“I just remember myself holding two people on the ground as tight as I can, and you could hear the ‘shoo, shoo, shoo’ bullets going across your head,” he said.
He says people started running and kicking over them to get away from the shooting. That’s when they decided to get up and run.
Roseboro was shot in the neck and was taken by his friends to Maryview Hospital.
“I just kept thinking about my kids. I kept thinking I can’t die. I can not die,” he said.
The next thing he remembers is waking up in Sentara Norfolk General.
Roseboro says it’s been difficult.
“It sucks. Physically, I feel like I’m good. I can’t work out like I used to work out. Mentally, it’s killing me,” he said.
The shooting has shaken his sense of security. He says he’s speaking up to be a voice for others who are also feeling the same way.
Roseboro is also upset due to the wave of recent violence.
He’s one of at least 55 people shot in Hampton Roads since the start of Memorial Day Weekend.
“It’s horrible. I wish I could do something about it, but then you think what can I do? I hate to say it but honestly, it’s not going to stop,” he said.
Roseboro believes it’s because many just don’t care how it’s affecting others in the community and many youth think it’s cool to carry guns.
“I pray for my community, my state of Virginia, the United States, but I do feel like there’s a dark cloud over the 757 area right now. Every night I pray and I just want everyone to know that we are not alone,” he said.