VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Five people were shot at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront late Saturday night after two male suspects opened fire on each other, striking bystanders in the process.

Virginia Beach Police Department officers patrolling the area heard shots fired at approximately 9:52 p.m. in the 1800 block of Atlantic Avenue on March 7, 2026.

When officers arrived on scene, they found five individuals believed to be suffering from gunshot wounds — 4 men and 1 women, all believed to be in their late teens or early 20s.

All five were transported to local hospitals and are believed to have non-life-threatening injuries.

Investigators say the preliminary investigation indicates the two male suspects were shooting at each other when the other individuals were struck by gunfire. Both suspects fled the scene on foot.

VBPD Violent Crimes Unit detectives are actively seeking two suspects:

• Suspect 1: A Black male, late teens to early 20s, with dark skin and afro-style hair, last seen wearing black shoes, black pants and a red shirt or sweatshirt.
• Suspect 2: A White male, late teens to 20s, heavyset, last seen wearing black shorts and a white T-shirt with lettering or a design on the front.

Police Chief Paul Neudigate addressed the shooting in a statement.

“As this was the first warm night of the year, we anticipated increased crowds and juvenile activity in the Resort Area. As a result, we deployed over 50 additional officers to the area Saturday night to augment the normal staffing for a weekend night. As I have stated repeatedly, police presence and visibility, even in large numbers, is no longer a sufficient deterrent for some of the individuals that frequent our Resort Area that are willing to resort to a gun to resolve conflict,” Neudigate said.

Both suspects are still being located. Anyone with information or possible video from the incident is asked to contact VBPD at (757) 385-4101 or anonymously through Crime Solvers at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP or P3Tips.com.