On Monday, pop star Pharrell Williams mourned the death of his cousin, Donovon W. Lynch, who was shot Friday by police in Virginia Beach after they responded to a gun battle in the streets.
The police were called when a gunfight that left eight wounded erupted at a beachfront street event. Officers said when they arrived, Lynch was brandishing a firearm. Three men were charged in the shooting.
The “Happy” singer posted a message about his cousin to Instagram on Monday morning, calling the shooting a “tragedy beyond measure.”
“The loss of these lives is a tragedy beyond measure,” Pharrell Williams wrote in his post. “My cousin Donovon was killed during the shootings. He was a bright light and someone who always showed up for others. It is critical my family and the other victims’ families get 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 even stronger.”
Lynch’s father Wayne told WAVY reporter Andy Fox that his son was “a father’s dream.”
Virginia Beach Police Chief Paul Neudigate confirmed that a Ruger semi-automatic firearm was recovered after Lynch was shot by the officers who responded to the shooting. Neudigate added that a witness confirmed that Lynch was armed.
The department noted that a “separate, independent witness corroborated that Mr. Lynch was in possession of a handgun earlier on the evening of March 26, 2021.”
Chief Neudigate also noted that the officer who shot Lynch was wearing a bodycam but that “for unknown reasons,” the device was not operating at the time of the shooting. “We would like to provide the community answers. At this point, we do not have them,” the chief exclaimed.
The officer who shot Lynch is now on administrative leave, per department policy when an officer is involved in a shooting.
UVA-Wise head football coach Dane Damron also spoke about the shooting, saying that Lynch will be missed.
“He was in my house a lot of times as well, going through a cooking class my wife did with some of my players,” Damron told the media. “He never met a stranger. He’ll certainly be missed.”
A memorial will be held Tuesday evening at the Oceanfront.
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