PORTSMOUTH — A boy was injured Sunday afternoon in what police said was a shooting involving an unsecured firearm.
In a statement, Portsmouth Police Chief Stephen Jenkins said a 15-year-old boy was shot due to an unsecured firearm around 1:45 p.m. He was wounded in the thigh and abdomen.
Jenkins called the shooting a “shocking and completely preventable incident” and said police haven’t yet been able to determine how the boy was shot.
Police said they were called to the 1100 block of Virginia Avenue, where they found the teen. He was transported to the Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters for treatment.
The investigation is ongoing, and police did not provide an update on the teen’s condition.
Police obtained warrants for child neglect for Maurice Savage, Naomi Savage and Demetric Ralph.
Adults attempted to remove other firearms and other evidence from the scene before police arrived, Jenkins said. He admonished those actions, saying they endanger lives and impede thorough investigations.