DATE: Wednesday, September 17, 1997         TAG: 9709170492

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JUNE ARNEY, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   41 lines

3 MEN DIE IN OCEAN VIEW SHOOTING

Three men were fatally shot Tuesday night in a parking lot in the city's Ocean View section.

The shooting, in the 9600 block of 15th Bay St., was reported at about 8:15 p.m., Norfolk Police spokesman Larry Hill said.

Two men were pronounced dead at the scene and the third was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where he died shortly afterward.

All three victims were black men in their late teens to early 20s. Their names were not released pending notification of families.

Police were looking for three suspects late Tuesday, Hill said.

A fight apparently started in a nearby parking lot, but no details were available late Tuesday. Police continued to investigate.

One resident of 15th Bay Street said her boyfriend was walking their dog when he heard multiple gunshots and ran to the house. He saw one person on the ground.

``We have an Akita, but I don't care, it's not going to stop gunfire,'' said the woman, who asked not to be named. ``He came in and we shut and locked the doors.''

Police still had the area near the intersection of Pleasant Avenue blocked off as she prepared to go to sleep.

Not far away, at Jimmy's Harborside, it was karaoke night.

A few patrons came in talking about the gunfire.

``They basically came in and told us not to go down the street because some guys were shooting,'' said a cook and bartender who identified herself only as Valerie.

She watched as police cars and ambulances streaked by.

Some of the regulars suggested that she close the back door so that no one would try to come in and hide. ``People were saying it's a drug thing,'' she said. ILLUSTRATION: VP MAP

EAST OCEAN VIEW KEYWORDS: SHOOTING MURDER

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