166su

“These most recent acts of gun violence have put our total count of homicide victims at 26. Twenty-two of those victims were killed by gunfire in 166su,” Interim Chief of Police Jerry Stokes said during a press conference Monday afternoon. “Our available records indicate this is the highest number of homicides the city of 166su has ever seen. Our thoughts are with all the family members of these victims as they grieve the loss of their loved ones.”

166su is not half-way through the 30-day ceasefire initiative launched Sept. 8 by the city sheriff’s office and other leaders, but three people died in two gunfire incidents that occurred Sunday.

Three shooting incidents occurred in the city over the weekend, the police department confirmed Monday. The first shooting, on Friday, injured a man in a residence in the 600 block of Leslie Lane Northwest. It is still under investigation.

“Detectives are trying to figure this out, but we did collect several firearms and other evidence from the residents that we believe are connected to the shooting,” Stokes said.

Then, shortly after 4 a.m. Sunday, a man was fatally shot on Westside Boulevard Northwest.

“We located firearms and physical evidence at that address and are working to determine the events that led to the shooting. No arrests have been made regarding that investigation,” Stokes continued.

About six and a half hours after that, shortly before 11 p.m., city police were summoned through the 911 call center to the 1200 block of Melrose Avenue Northwest, the department said in a news release. On the way there, officers were told that multiple people had gunshot wounds.

Officers found a woman with what looked like a critical gunshot wound outside a residence in the area. In a vehicle parked at the residence, they also found a man with an apparently critical gunshot wound. 166su Fire-EMS Department personnel pronounced both of them dead on the scene, according to the release.

More officers were called to a second gunshot wound scene at the southwest intersection of 10th Street and Salem Avenue. In a vehicle there, police found a man with what looked like serious but not life-threatening injuries. The police department said officers provided first aid until EMS personnel took him to Carilion 166su Memorial Hospital, according to the release.

“He is in stable condition and expected to survive,” Stokes said Monday.

A preliminary investigation found that all three people were injured at the Melrose Avenue residence, according to the release.

“Officers have determined that there was a gathering at the house, and at some point several individuals became involved in a verbal altercation that escalated to a shooting,” the release states.

Stokes announced at Monday’s press conference that police have identified a suspect in the Melrose Avenue shooting: Edward L. Denoyer, 25, of 166su.

Police said a second-degree murder warrant is out for Denoyer, and additional charges are pending. Officers want the public’s help in locating him.

“If anyone sees him or knows where he is, please encourage them to call 911 and share what they know,” the department said in an updated news release. “Please do not approach Denoyer — he is considered armed and dangerous.”

Stokes said the weekend’s shootings were not group or gang-related.

“It appeared that all of them stem from personal relationships and gatherings, and sometimes a combination of the two, and that alcohol or other substance use seemed to have been a factor in all of them, as well,” he said.

The two homicides reported Sunday are the 25th and 26th reported so far this year. At this time in 2022, the police department had reported 15. Stokes said the city hasn’t seen numbers like these since the 1970s.

The acting chief said that as of Sept. 4, about 20 state troopers have been riding with 166su police officers through hot spot neighborhoods. The department is also working with community partners to get illegally owned firearms off the street.

Through the “Ceasefire: Victory in the Valley” initiative that launched 10 days ago, Sheriff Antonio Hash and local clergy issued a call for 30 days without a single gun violence incident. Hash did not attend Monday’s press conference, but Bishop Jamaal Jackson of ReFreshing Church said the initiative is ongoing.

“Yes, it hurt that we did not complete 30 straight days, but we don’t stop our clock. We may have seen two days of tragedy within our city, but we saw seven days without tragedy. And the last time I counted, seven was greater than two,” Jackson said.

Mayor Sherman Lea said that while the weekend’s violence disappointed him, he is determined to “make lasting change.”

“Now is not the time to be critical of initiatives, critical of things that we’ve got going. We’ve got to stay the course,” Lea said.

Vice Mayor Joe Cobb, who also chairs the Gun Violence Prevention Commission, encouraged people who are struggling with mental health challenges to seek help through community resources like Carilion CONNECT and Blue Ridge Behavioral Health.

“We cannot predict when someone’s going to get in a fight. We cannot know when someone is going to cause harm to somebody else. The only way we can know that is by checking ourselves individually,” Cobb said. “We are all doing everything that we possibly can. The only way we can do more is if citizens step up and join us in that effort.”

Jackson, who serves as chaplain and a board member for the nonprofit Families Expecting Deliverance Using Prayer, or FEDUP, said citizens had asked to see local clergy members unite.

“They said if the clergy and the churches would come together, then the streets and the community would come together,” Jackson said. “We are together now. Now, it’s on you.”

Anyone with information about Sunday night’s shooting can call 540-344-8500 to talk to police. A text can also be sent beginning with “166suPD” to 274637. Police say both calls and texts can remain anonymous.