PORTSMOUTH, Va. — A graduation party in the Cavalier Manor section of Portsmouth took a violent turn Saturday night. Portsmouth police said four people were shot and injured.
Investigators responded to a call on the 400 block of Viking Street for a shooting at 11:44 p.m. Officers arrived on scene to find four victims. They said two adults and two teens had been shot. Police have not released the ages of those individuals.
Roughly ten hours later the street was quiet, with just a few individuals stopping by to retrieve items left behind in the chaos.
Neighbors who wanted to remain anonymous reported seeing a large party with young people late Saturday night. Just before midnight, they said they saw people running from the area.
"A party should be about celebrating what you just achieved and now you are ready to branch out into a new achievement in life. So, I don't want to welcome no arguments into this environment. Now we're talking about a party where violence got to take place. That's not setting an example for the students or for the family or the community," said Bilal Muhammad, community activist who has served his community for more than 50 years.
Muhammad's fed up with the violence and wants the incident to serve as a push for more parents and community members to step up.
"We've been there. We've graduated. Let's show them the direction to take and let us show them that we care for them, that we love them, that we're going to show them a better way of growing up," said Muhammad.
Police have been posting social media reminders for parents, saying the city has a curfew for minors. Anyone 17 or younger in Portsmouth must be home with a parent or guardian between 11 p.m. and five a.m.
In this incident, the four victims were taken to the hospital and are expected to survive.
Police have not released information about a possible motive or suspects at this time.
This is an ongoing investigation. Portsmouth police urge anyone with information to contact them.
This article was researched, reported, and written by a WTKR News 3 journalist. AI was used to minimize typos and ensure style continuity.
