She wished to spend some quality time with a friend. She was one of two people who were slain in a shooting.

According to investigators, a Virginia newspaper reporter was one of two people slain in a shooting outside a restaurant and bar early Saturday morning, witnesses.

The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk reported that Sierra Jenkins, 25, who covered education for the paper, died at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital after being shot outside Chicho’s Pizza Backstage, according to officials.

Detectives from the Norfolk Police Department were looking into the incident, which resulted in the injuries of three additional people. Restaurant manager Rory Schindel told the newspaper that Jenkins got caught in the crossfire as she walked out of the establishment. As of Saturday afternoon, there have been no arrests announced in the case.

Jenkins grew up in Norfolk and went on to receive his bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University. After graduating from high school, she worked as an intern at Atlanta Magazine and CNN before starting at The Pilot in December 2020.

“Sierra was a bright and smart woman who had a great deal of potential. Her enthusiasm for journalism was apparent, and our town is a better place as a result of the stories she covered.

“The Virginian-Pilot and many other newspapers are owned and operated by Virginia Media, according to Kris Worrell, editor-in-chief of the company. “Sierra was a joy to be around because she was witty, lively, and full of passion. We are completely and utterly devastated.”

Schindel stated that bartenders had proclaimed the end of the night’s service and had turned on the lights at 1:30 a.m. According to the publication, an argument broke out outside as people began to leave, and shots were fired shortly after.

Devon M. Harris, 25, of Portsmouth, was identified as the other individual murdered by Norfolk police, according to the department. According to authorities, another woman suffered a life-threatening gunshot wound, while two additional men were wounded but did not sustain life-threatening injuries, according to a news release.

“It was a great night,” Jenkins’ father, Maurice Jenkins of Virginia Beach, told the newspaper, adding that his daughter “wasn’t much of a going-out kind of person at all,” but that she had a friend visiting from out of town who wanted to leave.

Chicho’s Pizza Backstage is located just close to the downtown Norfolk campus of Tidewater Community College.

Sierra Jenkins’s birthday was just a couple of days ago. She moved into her first apartment in Virginia Beach a month ago after previously living with her family, according to the newspaper.

Some of the state’s most powerful leaders expressed their sorrow over the fatalities on Saturday.

Sierra Jenkins was among the people who died in Norfolk, according to Governor Glenn Youngkin, who posted a statement on Twitter. “The First Lady and I are praying for their families, friends, and the Virginian-Pilot community,” the First Lady said in a statement.