VIRGINIA BEACH

Two scantily clad women beckon from the top of the flier.

“Virgina Beach Beach Weekend Turnup Pt. 2,” it announces in bold lettering, misspelling and all.

It’s reminiscent of fliers that appeared two months ago for College Beach Weekend.

The city is still reeling from that event in April, which drew as many as 40,000 people to the Oceanfront, crowding the streets and leading to three shootings, three stabbings and 148 arrests.

Like College Beach Weekend, which was heavily marketed on social media, the most recent flier popped up on Facebook and Twitter. It gives the dates July 26 through 28, and states, “If you went to the first one, you know the #turnup is real.”

Should the city be gearing up for a repeat?

The short answer is: It’s not clear.

Mayor Will Sessoms posted about the flier on his Facebook page Monday.

He said during a phone interview that the information is so vague, he doesn’t “think it’s worth talking about at this point.” If the city finds proof the event is going to occur, Sessoms said, “we’ll be prepared.”

Police learned about the flier last week, spokeswoman Grazia Moyers said, and they are monitoring the situation. During April’s College Beach Weekend, 142 officers worked during the peak time. Police had to increase staffing that weekend when the crowds that showed up were bigger than expected.

So far, she said, police haven’t been able to contact the promoters of the event, denoted on the flier as “The 2 Gun Crew.”

Since the April event, the city has strengthened an existing law to ensure that it has more control of such events. Now, event promoters and venues are required to post a bond if they plan to charge to attend their events or they could face a misdemeanor charge. Last week, police Chief Jim Cervera briefed the City Council on his Oceanfront policing strategy that included increasing officers and more than doubling security cameras.

Talk of a second beach weekend was mostly confined to Twitter and Instagram, where some users wondered if they were legitimate. References to the “2 Gun Crew” appear to have cropped up only after the flier started to circulate.

The Virginia Beach Hotel-Motel Association hasn’t been able to track down promoters either. No Oceanfront hotels have reported larger-than-normal bookings or groups registering for rooms, said Joe DaBiero, the association’s president.

“We’re not seeing any type of activity not typical of a normal July weekend,” DaBiero said. Hotels are aware of the flier, he said, and again, they’re monitoring it.

Unlike fliers for College Beach Weekend in April, no clubs or events were listed on the flier advertising “Beach Weekend Pt. 2.”

Owners of two clubs that were listed on the first flier – Savoy and Bentleys – said they hadn’t heard anything about a second weekend. Charles Greenhood, who owned the former Savoy nightclub in Portsmouth, guessed it’s some sort of prank.

“Who would do this and call it ‘2 Gun Crew?’ ” he asked. “It’s definitely a hoax.”

Councilman John Uhrin, who represents the Oceanfront, pointed out the city doesn’t have much to go on because the flier doesn’t list a contact number or location.

“There’s not a whole lot of substance to it,” he said.

Still, Uhrin said it’s a reminder that the city should consider safety at the Oceanfront continually, not just when a big event occurs.

Pilot writers Elisabeth Hulette and Thad Moore contributed to this report.

Gabriella Souza, (252) 441-1711, gabriella.souza@pilotonline.com

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