Virginia Beach officials are pleading for state-level support and new enforcement tools after a burst of gunfire lasting just 12 seconds wounded eight people near the city’s crowded Oceanfront boardwalk Saturday night, despite the presence of 90 officers patrolling a 10-block area.
Mayor Bobby Dyer and Police Chief Paul Neudigate held a press conference Monday afternoon calling for stronger collaboration with state lawmakers. “The time is now for us to act, and we must act together,” Dyer said. “We must build the bridges that we need with the various entities that will put this together. It’s a national problem, it’s a local problem.” Dyer urged General Assembly members to ride along with Virginia Beach officers to witness firsthand the difficulties they confront.
Chief Neudigate stressed the lightning speed of the violence. “From the initial approach to punches being thrown to guns being pulled and shots fired, between the two groups, ladies and gentlemen, 12 seconds,” Neudigate said. “No one out there can de-escalate a conflict that goes from approach to gunfire in 12 seconds.”
The shooting unfolded at approximately 9:50 p.m. on Saturday, April 11, 2026, in the 1400 block of Atlantic Avenue. Officers responded to a ShotSpotter activation and the sound of gunfire. Upon arrival, they discovered eight people with gunshot wounds scattered throughout the scene.
Homicide detectives determined that two unrelated groups approached each other from opposite directions. A physical altercation erupted, and at least three individuals drew firearms and opened fire on each other in a tourist corridor packed with Saturday night crowds.
The eight victims, ages 17 to 24, were taken to area hospitals with injuries ranging from non-life-threatening to serious. Police confirmed that all victims are expected to survive. They came from Portsmouth, Richmond, Lancaster, and Chesterfield in Virginia, along with one person from Snellville, Georgia.
Police arrested 18-year-old Jamya Williams of Henrico County at the scene. Williams herself was among those shot, suffering a gunshot wound to her ankle. According to court documents, Williams admitted during an interview to firing a gun during the incident.
Surveillance video captured Williams standing on a sidewalk when a fight broke out between two people in front of her, according to a criminal complaint. She then pulled out a handgun and began firing. Later footage shows Williams collapsing after being shot. A .40-caliber handgun was found by officers near the spot where she fell. Investigators linked the firearm to two earlier shooting incidents in Richmond.
Williams appeared virtually on Monday morning for arraignment in Virginia Beach Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. She faces multiple charges, including reckless firearm use, assault, aggravated assault, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and violations of a protective order. She was also found to be illegally in possession of two firearms.
A second suspect, 18-year-old Isaiah Charity from Richmond, surrendered to police. Charity faces 24 outstanding charges, including eight counts of aggravated malicious wounding, eight counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony, and eight counts of reckless handling of a firearm causing injury, with one count corresponding to each person hurt.
A third suspect has not been identified. Police describe him as a Black male who was last seen wearing a dark-colored hoodie with possible red lettering on the back. Officers also arrested 21-year-old Jahmari Savage of Chesapeake on a concealed weapon charge after finding him with a 9mm handgun, though police confirmed he was not involved in the shooting.
Neudigate noted that the department had increased staffing at the Oceanfront since early March, which is earlier than the typical seasonal ramp-up. Still, the 90 officers stationed in the area that night — more than were patrolling the rest of the 247-square-mile city — could not prevent the violence.
The incident has shaken residents and business owners as Virginia Beach heads into its busiest tourism season. Workers near the Virginia Beach Fishing Pier said the Saturday night gunfire forced some businesses to close early.
A local resident told reporters that he believes the situation is damaging Virginia Beach’s reputation, noting that the city has long been known as a family-friendly resort area.
On March 12, city officials had implemented a weekend curfew through the end of April, restricting unaccompanied minors from being at the Oceanfront between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. A separate incident over the weekend involving hundreds of youths fighting and reports of guns at a Virginia Beach trampoline park added further strain to the department’s already stretched resources.
Anyone with information, photographs, or video from the Oceanfront on the night of April 11 is asked to contact the Virginia Beach Police Department at 757-385-4101. Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Solvers at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP or through the P3Tips platform.
