Latest news with #CollegeBeachWeekend
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
More arrests from College Beach Weekend at Oceanfront include use of a machine gun, police say
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways VIRGINIA BEACH — Police announced Wednesday three additional arrests to the slew of 53 made following College Beach Weekend. Two of the three men arrested were charged with use of a machine gun. Authorities were notified of shots fired at the Oceanfront near the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and 23rd Street on April 27 from a Shotspotter alert and multiple calls to emergency services, police said. Officers confirmed shots fired at the scene and reported no injuries, according to a Virginia Beach Police Department release. Following an investigation, police said, arrests were carried out for 23-year-old Nashun Simmons of Hampton, who was charged with multiple felonies including shooting in a public place, destruction of property, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a switch activator and using a machine gun; 22-year-old Jay'nod Harvey of Newport News, who was charged with multiple felonies including wearing a mask in the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a trigger activator; and 23-year-old Mark Aranjo of Hampton who was charged with possession of a switch activator and using of a machine gun. Police seized three guns, one with a trigger switch and extend magazine. Switch activators and trigger switches are generally used to illegally convert a semi-automatic firearm into one that's fully-automatic. These three arrests bring up the total number from College Beach Weekend up to 56 and the total number of guns confiscated up to at least 31. College Beach Weekend is an annual informal tradition wherein college students, especially those from the region's Historically Black Universities, gather in crowds at the Oceanfront the last weekend of April. It has long been known to result in occasional violence and numerous arrests. No additional details were immediately available.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
Dozens of arrests made, guns seized during College Beach Weekend at the Oceanfront
VIRGINIA BEACH — Police arrested 53 people, responded to multiple 'shots fired' incidents, and seized dozens of weapons at the Oceanfront this past weekend after thousands of young people descended on the resort area for the annual College Beach Weekend, according to the department. The number of arrests was more than double the amount made during last year's Fourth of July weekend, when 23 people were arrested, according to data provided by police. Men in their late teens and early 20s made up for the majority of those arrested this past weekend, the data showed. The youngest person taken into custody was a 14-year-old Virginia Beach boy charged with drug possession, and the oldest was a 53-year-old man cited for public intoxication, the data showed. Most of the issued charges were for crimes like carrying a concealed weapon, drug possession, assault, fleeing from law enforcement, disorderly conduct, drunken driving and public intoxication, according to the data. Of the 53, police provided detailed information for 38 of them. The data showed that a little more than half were from Hampton Roads. Eleven came from other parts of the state, three were from out of state, and four had unknown addresses. Only three were female. Police said they also confiscated at least 28 guns. 'Unfortunately, not all that visited the Oceanfront area this past weekend came to have a good time; many came with criminal aspirations,' police said in a statement issued late Monday. 'In addition to dealing with large crowds of teens and young adults, VBPD officers responded to several shots fired and shooting-related offenses during the weekend, including ShotSpotter activations and a person shot in the 1400 block of Pacific Avenue on Sunday morning.' College Beach Weekend has long been known to result in occasional violence and numerous arrests as students from nearby historically Black colleges and universities flock to the area for a few days before final exams begin. In 2019, Virginia Beach native and music mogul Pharrell Williams hosted a weekend-long, star-studded music festival created in part to keep the College Beach Weekend crowds entertained and out of trouble. The hugely successful festival was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID, then moved to Washington D.C. in 2022. It came back to Virginia Beach in 2023, but was hampered by bad weather. The festival was expected to be held again this past weekend, but city officials cancelled their contract with organizers earlier this year after they missed multiple deadlines. Instead, they lined up some R&B and hip-hop music acts that performed Friday and Saturday. Virginia Beach police spokesman Ricky LaBlue said the department had an enhanced presence at the Oceanfront. Virginia Beach mayor Bobby Dyer said Tuesday he was pleased with the work done by police, especially in rounding up so many guns. 'The good news is they're getting them off the street,' Dyer said about the firearms. 'We have a police force that's doing its job.' When asked whether Williams could try to bring Something in the Water back to Virginia Beach next year, Dyer didn't rule it out. 'We'll have an open door, but they've got to play by the rules,' he said. 'We gave them every conceivable chance.' Staff Writer Stacy Parker contributed to this report. Jane Harper,
