Teen dies in shooting on Elm Avenue in Portsmouth; at least 7 local shootings in September involved children

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Police said a 17-year-old died in a shooting on Elm Avenue in Portsmouth Thursday night.

The call reporting the shooting came in around 9:30 p.m. in the 2900 block of Elm Avenue.

Officers responded and began life-saving measures, but the teen died at the hospital.

Police said the 17-year-old boy’s family had been notified and the case is being investigated as a homicide. There’s no suspect information at this time.

There’s been a notable trend in youth violence recently in Hampton Roads. In September, WAVY reported at least seven shootings involving kids in Portsmouth, Norfolk, and Newport News. Three of those children died. The other fatal shootings happened on Sept. 6 on Wickham Avenue in Newport News and on Sept. 26 in Ocean View. Police said a 10-year-old girl and her mother were fatally shot by a man who took his own life.

One of those shootings happened at Heritage High School in Newport News. Two 17-year-old students were hurt and a 15-year-old was arrested.

Attorney General Mark Herring plans to work with lawmakers to create more gun prevention programs, and says guns are too easy to access.

Stay with WAVY.com for updates.