A ShotSpotter alert sent Newport News police to the 3000 block of Roanoke Avenue around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, where officers found three people shot outside — a 20-year-old man and two boys, ages 16 and 17. None of their injuries were considered life-threatening, and all three were taken to a local facility for care.
According to WAVY, officers responded to the ShotSpotter activation and located the trio suffering from gunshot wounds in the same block. Police have not released information about a suspect or a motive, and as of the report, the investigation was ongoing. 13News Now reported the same overnight incident, noting that two juveniles and one adult were hurt in the 3000 block.
Newport News police have asked anyone with information about the shooting to call the Crime Line.
A Stretch of Roanoke Avenue With a Violent History
This is not the first time this particular corridor has seen gunfire. The station's report on a separate case noted that police previously investigated a shooting in the 3100 block of Roanoke Avenue, just a block away, in which officers found one male victim with a gunshot wound. That earlier case does not appear to be connected to Tuesday's shooting based on available reporting.
Roanoke Avenue has also been the site of more serious violence. A December 2023 shooting at 74th Street and Roanoke Avenue left one man dead and two others injured, including a juvenile, according to WTKR. Police identified the man who died in that incident as 18-year-old Rey’ll Parks of Hampton. Further down the same street, the Daily Press reported that officers responded in May to a home invasion and shooting in the 1300 block of Roanoke Avenue that killed 42-year-old Newport News resident Evelyn Dixon.
Citywide Numbers Show a Decline, Even as Shootings Persist
Despite the violence on Roanoke Avenue this year, Newport News has reported a broader downward trend in gun crime. Police data cited by WAVY shows homicides fell 61.7% and gun-violence incidents dropped 46.7% citywide between 2023 and 2025. The department recorded 18 homicides in 2025, the lowest total in a decade, a steep drop from the 47 homicides and 124 total gun-violence incidents logged in 2023, which was the worst year of the preceding ten.
Shootings overall have also declined year over year, falling from 97 to 74, WTKR reported, though the specific years covered by that comparison were not detailed. The City of Newport News maintains public crime-report data, including daily offense logs and cold cases, for residents tracking these trends. For now, police have not said whether Tuesday’s shooting on Roanoke Avenue is linked to any of the earlier incidents in the area, and the investigation remains open.
