Erica Atkins, 31, was fatally shot on the night of September 8, 2023, while sitting in a car with two other women in the 1900 block of Columbus Avenue in Portsmouth, Virginia. Surveillance footage shows a group of men exit a vehicle and open fire on the car the women occupied; all three were struck. Erica was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and later died. A second woman, Kamia Blount, 26, suffered serious injuries; a third, Chemiyah Lawrence, sustained non-life-threatening wounds and walked into a hospital.

Erica was a mother of two daughters, ages 10 and two, and described by family as someone who brought joy to others. Her aunt, Monica Atkins, an anti-violence activist, said Erica appeared not to have been the intended target. The Portsmouth Police Department investigated and asked the public for information.

In October 2023 police arrested a 17-year-old male and charged him with two counts of first-degree murder, firearm offenses and underage possession in connection with Erica’s killing and a nearby October 11 homicide. Authorities said they were still seeking other suspects. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Portsmouth Police at 757-393-8536.

Did anyone in the Prentis Park area see or hear anything relevant that night?