UPDATE: VBPD Makes Arrest on Atlantic Avenue Shooting

On March 8, 2026, the Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) arrested and charged Matheus F. Cavalcante (M/18) of Norfolk for his involvement in the shooting that occurred on March 7, 2026.

Cavalcante has been charged with five (5) counts of aggravated malicious wounding, one (1) count of malicious wounding, six (6) counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony, and six (6) counts of reckless handling of a firearm.

This is an active investigation and additional arrests are anticipated.  Anyone with information or relevant video footage is asked to contact VBPD at (757) 385-4101 or anonymously through Crime Solvers at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP or P3Tips.com. 

(Note: The charges mentioned in this press release are accusations, and the arrested individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.) 

Previous Update Press Release

UPDATE: On March 8, 2026, Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) detectives identified an additional gunshot victim who arrived at a local hospital. The individual sustained non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to recover. This brings the total number of victims to six.

The victims are listed as follows:

Victim 1: Female, 18, of Norfolk

Victim 2: Male, 19, of Suffolk

Victim 3: Male, 24, of Portsmouth

Victim 4: Male, 21, of Newport News

Victim 5: Male, 19, Unknown at this time

Victim 6: Male, 22, of New Kent County

This case is still under active investigation. The Virginia Beach Police Department urges anyone with information or potential video footage related to this incident to contact VBPD at (757) 385-4101 or anonymously through Crime Solvers at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP or P3Tips.com. 

Previous Press Release

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA, March 8, 2026 –On March 7, 2026, at approximately 9:52 p.m., Virginia Beach Police Department (VBPD) officers patrolling the Oceanfront heard shots fired in the 1800 block of Atlantic Ave. Officers converged on the scene, ultimately locating five individuals believed to be suffering from gunshot wounds. The (four) 4 males and (one) 1 female victim, all believed to be in their late teens or early twenties, were transported to local hospitals and are believed to have non-life-threatening injuries at this time.

Our preliminary investigation indicates that two male suspects were shooting at each other when other individuals were struck by the gunfire. Both individuals fled the scene on foot. VBPD Violent Crimes Unit detectives are actively seeking two suspects:

Suspect 1: Male Black, late teens to early twenties, wearing black shoes, black pants and a red shirt/ sweatshirt, individual has dark skin with afro style hair.

Suspect 2: Male White, late teens to early twenties, heavy set, wearing black shorts, and white t-shirt with lettering or a design on the front.

These suspects are still outstanding and VBPD is asking for anyone with information or possible video from this incident to contact VBPD at (757) 385-4101 or anonymously through Crime Solvers at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP or P3Tips.com. 

Police Chief Paul Neudigate stated, “As this was the first warm night of the year, we anticipated increased crowds and juvenile activity in the Resort Area. As a result, we deployed over 50 additional officers to the area Saturday night to augment the normal staffing for a weekend night. As I have stated repeatedly, police presence and visibility, even in large numbers, is no longer a sufficient deterrent for some of the individuals that frequent our Resort Area that are willing to resort to a gun to resolve conflict.”