Virginia Beach police brief council after oceanfront shooting; mayor, council back imminent‑threat curfew for unaccompanied minors

Mayor Bobby Dees convened a council meeting in which Virginia Beach Police Department leaders briefed elected officials on a late‑night oceanfront shooting that wounded six bystanders and on proposed short‑term enforcement steps.

"The shooting incident occurred at 09:52PM on Saturday at 1800 Atlantic," the Police Chief told the council, describing a crowd of roughly 2,000 concentrated in a three‑block area, of which he estimated about 60% were minors. He said an 18‑year‑old from Norfolk fired six rounds after an attempted robbery of his openly carried firearm; that suspect now faces 18 felony charges, and investigators are seeking other individuals.

The police reported mobilizing more than 50 officers from across the city, using overtime and mutual‑aid resources. The department said it detained 37 young people for curfew violations; officers issued warnings to 34 and charged three juveniles for illegal firearms possession. The chief said NIBIN (ballistics) checks tied a handgun found on an intoxicated 15‑year‑old to two other incidents.

"We started having our officers go roving and mobile making those announcements at 10PM," the chief said, adding that the department delayed formal enforcement to encourage voluntary compliance and began detention near 11:30 p.m. "The goal is not to make any arrest. The goal is to send the message, don't come down here." He told council the sheriff's office has agreed to assist with transport and intake so minors can be held temporarily at recreation centers rather than police precincts.

Mayor Bobby Dees framed the incident as part of a broader policy failure at the state level, saying the city had sought state authority for "pop‑up" enforcement and had been rebuffed by the General Assembly. "I am angry, and I'm going to be blunt," Dees said, pressing the need for more policing tools and for the city to be able to act quickly.

Several council members supported a short‑term, targeted response. Vice Mayor and other members urged the council to adopt an imminent‑threat curfew for unaccompanied minors covering weekend evenings (presented as roughly dusk to dawn, described in discussion as about 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.) and suggested extending the measure through April for the spring season. The City Manager and police emphasized a phased approach: communications and warnings before detentions and criminal charges, and situational enforcement if conditions indicate a risk of gunfire.

Council member Rouse asked whether the council would be willing to hold a special session later in the week to consider enabling legislation; members agreed to pursue a special meeting and a closed‑session briefing on details.

The council did not adopt an ordinance during the meeting. Next steps recorded on the record were scheduling a special session and staff follow‑up on operational details and interagency coordination. The City Manager and Chief said they would brief council before any extended enforcement and would continue outreach to neighboring jurisdictions and the state delegation for longer‑term fixes.