Arrest in Reference to Shooting at Heritage High School
On September 20, 2021, at 11:38 am, the Communications Department received a call for service in reference to an individual with a gun and at 11:30 the call was updated to a shooting at Heritage High School located in the 5000th block of Marshall Avenue in Newport News, VA. Upon arrival, officers located two students suffering from gunshot wounds. After being rendered aid at the scene, both victims were transported to a local hospital for treatment of what was determined to be non-life-threatening wounds. The suspect was believed to be known to the victims and fled the scene after the shooting. Two other students were taken to a local hospital with injuries related to evacuating the school. Those injuries were not life-threatening. There is a School Resource Officer assigned to Heritage High School and he was at the scene.
The school was immediately placed on lockdown. NNPD officers entered to clear the building of any additional threat and to evacuate faculty and students. Students were instructed to go to the tennis courts at the back of the building and parents were informed that they could pick up their child at that location.
After developing a description, receiving identifying information about the suspect, and numerous tips from the community and school personnel, an extensive search of the area was conducted by NNPD. At 2:23 p.m., a 15-year-old male, and student at Heritage High School, was taken by a family member to Juvenile Services where he was then transported to Newport News Police Headquarters for an interview. The suspect was charged with: Aggravated Malicious Wounding x2; Use of Firearm in the Commission of a Felony (x2); and other weapons-related offenses.
Chief of Police Steve Drew wants to thank the officers for their quick response and our local, state and federal public safety partners for assisting in the quick apprehension of this suspect. He would also like to thank the team at Newport News Public Schools for their excellent assistance and response and to community members who assisted in providing information that led to the arrest. He would also like to send a special thank you to the two dispatchers who took the initial calls and coordinated efforts to respond to the incident. “It is by the grace of God there was no loss of life,” said Chief Drew. “We know this will be difficult to process for everyone involved and hope students, families, and faculty members take advantage of the resources that have been made available to help them cope with what happened yesterday at Heritage High School,” he added.
