Argument over spilled drink led to shooting that tragically killed Virginia reporter, police say

25-year-old Sierra Jenkins was among the individuals shot and killed on Saturday morning in Norfolk, Virginia

The Norfolk, Virginia police chief says the shooting this past weekend outside a local bar that left three people injured and two people dead, including 25-year-old reporter Sierra Jenkins, was result of an argument over a spilled drink.

In the early hours of Saturday morning, shortly after the bar-restaurant Chicho’s Pizza Backstage had issued last call for the evening, there was a disagreement inside that later escalated to the deadly shooting.

Ms Jenkins, who had only six days earlier celebrated her 25th birthday, was leaving the Norfolk restaurant when she and another victim, 25-year-old Devon M. Harris, got caught in the gunfire.

Officers responding to the scene at around 2am local time, CNN reported, found Ms Jenkins and two men with life-threatening injuries. Mr Harris was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other man and Ms Jenkins were taken to hospital, a police news release said. Ms Jenkins was later declared dead at hospital.

The former CNN news assistant and Virginian-Pilot reporter was described as a “shining star” by her former CNN colleagues, while her boss, editor-in-chief Kris Worell, characterised her as a “bright and talented woman”.

"To have the life of such a talented young person cut short is devastating," Ms Worrell said to CNN. "Our thoughts are with Sierra’s family and all those who knew and loved her. We are absolutely heartbroken."

Details later emerged that an editor for The Virginian-Pilot newspaper that Ms Jenkins worked for actually attempted to reach the young journalist while she was out that night, as she had been on-call for a breaking news shift starting that Saturday morning.

The newspaper’s editor told CNN that when they were unable to reach her, they called in another reporter to cover the shooting. It wasn’t until that reporter began covering the shooting that the full details of the tragedy unfolded to the local newsroom.

“In reporting the story of the shooting, we discovered that Sierra was one of the victims,” Ms Worrell said.

A candlelit vigil was held on Monday night for the promising young journalist, who worked as an editorial research intern for CNN back in 2020 and also held a position at Atlanta Magazine.

She had begun working for her local paper, The Virginian-Pilot, back in December 2020 and was excited to be working at a paper that covered her hometown.

A moment of silence was held during the vigil, which was held at Granby High School, the alma-matter of Ms Jenkins, followed by some words by the young journalist’s own mother.

"She touched each and every one of you,” said Moniquekia Thompson, according to WAVY news. “Everybody here. You take my baby’s piece that she left with you and apply it to yourselves. Change, do better, love one another."