The man who was shot dead by Virginia Beach police last week has been identified as Pharrell Williams’ cousin.
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Donovan Lynch was one of two people killed in three separate shootings in Virginia on Friday March 27, with eight others injured. On Monday, March 29, Williams confirmed the 25-year-old was a relative.
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“The loss of these lives is an immeasurable tragedy. My cousin Donovon was killed in the shootings,” Williams wrote on social media with a photo of Lynch. “It is important that my family and the families of the other victims receive the transparency, honesty, and justice they deserve. Virginia Beach is the epitome of hope and tenacity, and as a community we will get through this and come out stronger.”
The loss of these lives is an immeasurable tragedy. My cousin Donovon was killed during the shootings. It is important that my family and the families of the other victims receive the transparency they deserve. VA Beach is the epitome of hope and we will get through this. pic.twitter.com/npGxhbRwLk
– Pharrell Williams (@Pharrell) March 29, 2021
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Police reportedly responded to a gun battle on the beach and Lynch was killed in a “police shooting”. Since then, three men have been charged with the first shootout police responded to, but it remains to be determined whether Lynch fired any shots.
“The officer was wearing a body cam, but it was not activated at the time for unknown reasons,” said the Virginia Beach police chief Paul Neudigate said at a press conference over the weekend. “I don’t currently have the answers the church is looking for regarding this death.
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The Virginia Beach Police Department posted a statement on Facebook that Lynch was “brandishing a gun at the time of the shooting”. The statement added: “An independent witness confirmed that Mr. Lynch was in possession of a pistol on the evening of March 26, 2021.”
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“The specific actions that led to the shootings are part of the ongoing criminal investigation,” the Facebook post said. “Once the VBPD investigation is completed, all testimony and evidence will be presented to the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office (OCA). The OCA is conducting a separate investigation into this incident independently of the police department.”
The other victim was Deshayla Harriswho played in Bad Girls Club. The 29-year-old was killed in a separate shot one block from Lynch. Chief Neudigate said he believed Harris was an “innocent victim who, in some ways, likely was hit by stray gunfire”.