VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – Over half of the seven murders committed in Virginia Beach this year have ties to Renaissance Academy, according to Police Chief Paul Neudigate.

During a Tuesday City Council meeting, Chief Neudigate announced that five of the seven murders in Virginia Beach so far this year have been linked to Renaissance Academy, an alternative school for students in grades six through 12.

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“The juvenile victims and the suspects in these five offenses, there is a theme,” Chief Neudigate said. “Many of them have a connection to Renaissance.”

Chief Neudigate also discussed that the 15-year-old victim in Saturday’s fatal shooting at Mount Trashmore has ties to Renaissance.

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10 On Your Side spoke with Michael Skinner, a parent of two children who attended Renaissance Academy regarding the staggering statistic.

“I’ve only known about one of them that happened just recently over there at Mount Trashmore,” Skinner said regarding the connection. “The 15-year-old. That’s the only one that I really know of. But those figures are astronomical.”

“I believe, you know, the school itself needs, you know, more structure and, you know, more discipline and, you know, the need to do a little better for the kids,” Skinner said.

Chief Neudigate also discussed during the City Council meeting what they are confiscating from minors who are also social media gun merchants.

“We are very, very diligent and very proactive in trying to take illegally possessed guns out of the hands of juveniles in our community,” Chief Neudigate said. “And I know I say this and I’m going to say it again that if I gave you a presentation and I showed you some of the Instagram posts that we see on the daily of young children in Virginia Beach with guns, with guns that rival the quality and caliber of what our officers carry many times with the high capacity magazines.”

During a Level Green community meeting Wednesday night, residents of the Level Green neighborhood, where one of the five teen killings took place, expressed their concerns to Councilmember Sabrina Wooten and Chief Neudigate.

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Parents of students at Renaissance Academy are now asking to see improvements in security at the school.

“I just wish that, you know, the school could do a little bit better,” Skinner said. “And also, at times, you know, from what I’ve heard, you know, with the uptick in violence and all that, and I kind of fear for their safety as well.”

Check with WAVY.com for updates

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