VIRGINIA BEACH — A former Virginia-Wise football player died Friday after being shot by a Virginia Beach police officer.
Donovon Lynch, 25, Virginia Beach, died Friday at the shooting scene, one of three separate incidents being investigated within minutes of each other in the city’s Oceanfront area.
Virginia Beach Police officials, in statements on the department webpage, said that it was not known if Lynch’s death was connected to two other shooting incidents in the area.
A Friday night shooting blocks away from the site of Lynch’s death saw 10 people injured and three men arrested on felony assault and firearms charges, according to the department website. Several minutes after the first shooting, a Norfolk woman and bystander died of gunfire from a second incident a few blocks away.
As the second incident was happening, a uniformed police officer encountered Lynch and shot and killed him. Police described Lynch as an “armed citizen,” but the report did not indicate that he brandished a weapon.
Police are still trying to determine if the three shootings were connected.
“UVA Wise is saddened to hear of the death of alumnus Donovon Lynch,” UVA Wise Communications Director and spokesperson Kathy Still said Saturday. “I know the investigation is ongoing, and our hearts are broken for his family during this time.”
Still said Lynch was known in the college community for his dedication as a student and football player.
“His former classmates remember him as a kind man who deeply cared for his friends and family,” said Still. “He is fondly remembered as a supporter of intramurals on campus. He made a huge difference during his time at UVA Wise.”