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Businesses clean up at Virginia Beach Oceanfront after shooting damages stores

Virginia Beach police said someone in a car started shooting at a person in front of a business on Atlantic Avenue. The shooting damaged a number of storefronts.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Beach police officers said someone opened fire near 21st Street and Atlantic Avenue at the Oceanfront Monday night. The gunfire damaged several storefronts.

Investigators believe the gunfire came from a car that was heading down Atlantic Avenue around 10:50 p.m. They think the shooter was aiming for someone in a group of people that was standing outside a business

Detectives are looking for the target, who ran from the crowd, as well as the car that left the area.

Credit: Virginia 511
A Virginia 511 camera shows the crime scene after shots were fired at the Oceanfront.

Tuesday, several businesses had to clean up the mess caused by the shooting. That included Beach Wear for Less which needed a window replaced.

The owner said he had a customer in the store at the time of the shooting. He also told 13News Now he deals with this type of thing every year.

"It's hard to operate a business like this. Of course, it’s hard to pay the rent," he stated. “We can’t move as we’ve invested in our store.”

He and other people including Jordan Caldwell, who was visiting the Oceanfront, said, the effect goes beyond one business.

“It could impact the tourism," said Caldwell.

Credit: Megan Shinn, 13News Now

Dee Nachnani, owner of Coastal Edge, said incidents like this one are rare.

"I feel pretty good that the Virginia Beach Police Department is doing all they can,” Nachnani stated, empathizing with the owner of Beach Wear for Less. "I wish them nothing but good wishes."

“We’re trying to help the city to make things better, to look better," said Beach Wear for Less' owner, "but on the other hand, we don’t get any help from them.”

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