Reconstructing the Events of March 26, 2021
A chronological reconstruction of the three shootings that occurred within minutes of each other at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
Editor’s Note
The following timeline reconstructs the events of March 26, 2021, when three separate shootings occurred within minutes of each other at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
The sequence is based on police statements, witness accounts, court documents, media reports, and investigative materials.
Where accounts differ, those discrepancies are noted.
Timeline of the Virginia Beach Oceanfront Shootings
March 26, 2021
7:30 PM – Donovon Lynch arrives at the Oceanfront
According to witness Darrion Marsh, Lynch arrived at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront around 7:30 p.m.
Lynch recorded a short Instagram video while riding in Marsh’s vehicle at approximately 7:42 p.m.
The two later met friends and visited restaurants and bars in the resort district before going to the nightclub The Boxx, located near Atlantic Avenue.
Around 11:00 PM – Last drinks at Boxx nightclub
Marsh stated that he and Lynch had their second and last drink of the night around 11 p.m.
The atmosphere inside the bar was normal, although large crowds had gathered outside along the Oceanfront entertainment strip.
Approximately 11:20 PM – First civilian shootout begins
The first shooting occurred in the 2000 block of Atlantic Avenue near 20th Street, close to the Nightmare Mansion attraction.
According to police, an argument escalated into gunfire involving multiple shooters.
Eight people were shot and injured.
This incident triggered panic throughout the Oceanfront district as crowds began running from the area.
Officer Solomon Simmons arrives in his patrol car as the only initial responder and provides aid to a wounded civilian. No fatalities occur here, but this sparks the broader chaos, with crowds fleeing and additional officers responding.
Approximately 11:20–11:30 PM – Crowds flee the area
Witnesses described hundreds of people running through nearby streets after the initial gunfire.
Marsh said he and Lynch left Boxx shortly after hearing the shots and began walking toward their vehicle, which was parked near 18th Street and Pacific Avenue.
11:27 p.m. – Officer Simmons transports wounded civilian: Simmons follows an ambulance to the hospital with the injured person from the first scene and deactivates his body camera during this process.
Approximately 11:30–11:45 PM – Second shooting erupts
A second exchange of gunfire occurred in a parking lot along Pacific Avenue between 19th and 20th Streets.
Reports indicated dozens of rounds were fired during this incident.
During the chaos, Deshayla E. Harris, a 29-year-old visitor from Norfolk, was struck by a stray bullet.
She was found in the 300 block of 19th Street near Pacific Avenue.
Harris died from her injuries.
Her killing remains unsolved.
Simmons, driving nearby on 20th Street, hears the shots, abandons his vehicle in the street, and runs toward the gunfire without reactivating his body camera. During this incident, an officer is struck and injured by a fleeing vehicle in the parking lot.
Around 11:50 PM – Lynch approaches Pacific Avenue
According to investigative summaries and witness accounts, Lynch and Marsh were walking toward their car when they heard additional gunfire.
Lynch reportedly called out toward the disturbance before crossing Pacific Avenue toward the area near 20th Street.
Officer Simmons emerges from the parking lot through a bush cutout (flashlight visible) and confronts Lynch in the 300 block of 20th Street, near Pacific Avenue.
Approximately 11:51 PM – Officer Solomon Simmons encounters Lynch
Virginia Beach Police Officer Solomon Simmons was responding to gunfire in the area when he encountered Lynch near Pacific Avenue and 20th Street.
Police later stated that Simmons believed Lynch was armed and posed a threat.
11:51 PM – Officer-involved shooting
Officer Simmons fired three shots.
Audio from nearby officers’ body cameras captured the gunfire.
Lynch was struck by the rounds.
Witnesses reported hearing Lynch say he had been shot.
Witness account from Darrion Marsh
Marsh later stated that Lynch never drew or pointed his firearm.
Marsh said the officer did not issue clear verbal commands before firing.
Police investigators later recovered a handgun registered to Lynch at the scene.
Immediately after the shooting
Officers arrived within seconds.
Body-camera audio from nearby officers captured Simmons saying:
“The firearm’s right there. I shot it.”
A civilian attempted to provide aid to Lynch. Another eyewitness who saw the shooting stated they did not see a gun on Lynch.
No other officers fire weapons that night.
Movement of Lynch’s body
Witnesses reported that Lynch’s body was moved from the initial location where the shooting occurred.
Police later stated the body was moved for safety reasons and to allow medical personnel access during the ongoing emergency.
Family attorney Jeff Reichert later raised questions about the handling of the scene.
12:07 AM – Lynch pronounced dead
Donovon Lynch was pronounced dead approximately fifteen minutes after the shooting.
His body was later transported to the medical examiner.
Summary of the Night
Within roughly 30–40 minutes, three separate shootings occurred within a few blocks of each other:
Total:
10 people shot
2 fatalities
Why this timeline matters
The proximity of the three shootings — both geographically and in time — created a chaotic environment along the Oceanfront.
Understanding the precise sequence of events remains central to ongoing questions about the police response, the unsolved killing of Deshayla Harris, and the fatal shooting of Donovon Lynch.
Distance Lynch traveled from Boxx
The locations involved are extremely close.
Walking time:
3–5 minutes normally
Even with crowds and chaos:
10 minutes would be slow
So if Marsh’s account is accurate that they left Boxx shortly after the first shooting (~11:20), then being near 20th & Pacific around 11:50 suggests they did not move very far very quickly.
That doesn’t prove anything by itself — but it does highlight how compressed the timeline is.
The Officer’s Movements
One key element of the timeline involves the movements of Officer Solomon Simmons after the first Oceanfront shooting.
Police said Simmons transported or followed an injured victim to a hospital before returning to the Oceanfront shortly before the fatal shooting of Donovon Lynch.
The closest hospital to the Oceanfront is Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital, roughly four to five miles away.
The round trip would typically take about 20 to 25 minutes.
The officer-involved shooting occurred around 11:51 p.m.
This raises reasonable questions such as:
- Did he stay with the victim or just follow the ambulance?
- Did he actually go all the way to the hospital?
- When exactly did he turn off his body camera?
- When exactly did he return to the Oceanfront?
Understanding exactly when Simmons left the Oceanfront, when he arrived at the hospital, and when he returned could help clarify the compressed timeline of events that unfolded that night.
Dispatch logs and vehicle data could provide precise answers.
The Three-Minute Window
One of the most striking aspects of the March 26 timeline is how little time separated the fatal shooting of Deshayla Harris and the officer-involved shooting of Donovon Lynch.
Investigative summaries suggest Harris was struck by gunfire only minutes before Lynch encountered Officer Solomon Simmons near Pacific Avenue and 20th Street.
The two scenes were separated by roughly one block.
This means officers responding to the Harris shooting may have still been moving toward that location when Simmons encountered Lynch.
Understanding exactly what officers knew during those minutes — and what information was transmitted over police radio — remains central to reconstructing the events of that night.
The Donovon Lynch Case 