The Hampton police have had a busy couple of weeks.
Two men were killed in separate shootings in early April. Three teenage boys were shot on March 30. There were three other shootings — including one Tuesday afternoon — and a stabbing.
Meanwhile, police shot a man who they contend was “brandishing a gun at them.”
And don’t forget the three fatal car crashes that killed a motorcyclist, a pedestrian and a 73-year-old woman whose car was struck from behind by a man who police say was racing on West Mercury Boulevard.
“Collectively, those were the busiest days we’ve had all year,” Hampton Police Chief Jimmie Wideman said.
The chief joined Hampton Mayor Jimmy Gray and Commonwealth’s Attorney Anton Bell at a City Hall news conference to say the city’s leadership are on top of things.
Gray spoke directly to the families and friends of those who’ve been “personally impacted by the heartbreaking events.”
“We see you, we grieve with you,” the mayor said. “And we share your loss and pain throughout our city as a community.”
Gray said the city is prioritizing justice, seeking ways to quell the gun violence and preventing the deadly car wrecks. “We want the community to know that we’re paying attention to this,” he said. “We are in tune with what’s going on and we’re taking serious steps to try to address it.”
So far this year, the city has had four homicides and 13 shootings, putting it on track to be lower than last year’s numbers, and far lower than 2023. But the city don’t want to lose that momentum now.
“We’ve identified that it was an uptick,” Wideman said of the recent week’s events. “And rather than sit back and wait for it to continue to develop … we wanted to let our community know that we had identified it, we saw it, and we were taking proactive steps to mitigate it.”
Wideman said he’s adding officers to traffic enforcement, and the department is increasing surveillance on those deemed most responsible for violent crime.
Gray said the City Council is working to provide resources, encouraging cooperation with community groups and working on ways to stop pedestrians from crossing Mercury Boulevard away from designated areas.
“We know our work is far from over,” he said.
And Bell said that when people break the law, they will be held accountable. “We will come for you, and we will make sure that you will not harm individuals in this city,” he said.
The uptick in violence began March 30, with a shooting on Jordan Drive in which three teenage boys — 14, 15 and 16 — were shot. The wounds were not life-threatening, and no arrests have been made.
On April 3, a woman was hospitalized after being stabbed in the 3500 block of Shell Road. A 35-year-old man, Gabriel Dunston, was charged with abduction, maiming, strangulation and domestic assault.
On April 4, a 23-year-old Newport News man, Rayqwon Brooks, was shot and killed on Sharon Court. Police said Brooks was having an argument with a female friend when a male friend shot him several times. No arrests have been made.
On April 7, a Hampton police officer shot a 35-year-old Hampton man, John Jones Jr., after police said he “brandished a gun at the officers” on 81st Street near Chestnut Avenue. Jones is charged with two felony counts of assaulting a police officer and other crimes.
On April 9, officers working in the 2000 block of Cunningham Drive “heard multiple gunshots in the distance.” They found a bullet-ridden car on nearby Enfield Drive. A man was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening wounds. No arrests have been made.
On April 11, a 25-year-old Hampton man, DeAngelo Osbourne, was shot and killed after 1:30 a.m. in the parking lot outside the Karma Lounge on Lincoln Street. No arrests have been made, though police said a warrant has been issued for a man’s arrest.
Finally, on Tuesday — less than two hours after the news conference — a man was shot on Topping Lane and was left with life-threatening wounds.
There were also three fatal car accidents in Hampton in recent weeks.
On March 31, John Knight, 64, was killed as he was trying to walk across the 200 block of West Mercury Boulevard. Police said Knight was trying to cross the road in an area without a crosswalk. The car’s driver remained on scene, and no charges were filed.
On April 5, a 52-year-old Hampton man, Randolph Williams, died when his motorcycle crashed into a pickup truck at the intersection of Victoria Boulevard and Greenbriar Avenue. The pickup’s driver remained on scene, and no charges were filed.
On April 10, a 73-year-old woman, Lucille McPherson of Newport News, was killed in a three-car accident on West Mercury Boulevard near Martha Lee Drive.
A speeding car rear-ended McPherson’s car and one other, killing her and injuring another. Police said Tuesday that they’ve issued warrants charging Ajani Osei Wiggins, 32, with involuntary manslaughter and driving on a suspended license. He has not yet been arrested.
Gray, Wideman and Bell predicted the city would turn things around and get back on track.
“We’re Hampton,” Bell said. “We’re Hampton in great times, and we’re Hampton in challenging times. We will not be defeated. We will overcome it. We will plow through this.”
Peter Dujardin, 757-897-2062, pdujardin@dailypress.com