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Pharrell says man fatally shot by Va. Beach officer was family; mourns loss in heartfelt message

Donovon Lynch
Posted at 7:39 PM, Mar 29, 2021
and last updated 2021-03-29 21:39:22-04

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Music icon and Virginia Beach native Pharrell mourns the loss of his cousin, Donovon Lynch, who was shot and killed by a police officer Friday night at the Oceanfront in Virginia Beach.

The Something In the Water organizer shared a picture of his cousin with an emotional message that called for transparency, honesty and justice for all the victims' families affected by the shootings that took place at the Oceanfront.

"The loss of these lives is a tragedy beyond measure. 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," the post reads.

This post follows the latest updates from the Virginia Beach Police Department regarding this shooting.

In police's recent update on Monday, they state two officers and an independent witness said Lynch was brandishing a gun at the time of the shooting but did not reveal the exact events that took place.

In a previous update, Police Chief Paul Neudigate stated that the officer's body cam was not activated at the time of the shooting.

Police say the events that took place are still being investigated.

This article was written by Arianna Herriott for WTKR.