RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Police say a gunman is on the run after five people were shot, one fatally, in Richmond’s Whitcomb Court Monday night. It’s the city’s third homicide this week, according to police.
Police were called to the 2300 block of Bethel Street following reports of gunfire. There, officers found three men shot. One man was pronounced dead at the scene. Another was taken by ambulance to the hospital with critical injuries.
Another man was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
“Two other individuals with apparent gunshot wounds were self-transported to a local hospital – an adult female with non-life-threatening injuries and a juvenile in his teens with life-threatening injuries,” police added.
Precinct Captain Richard Edwards told 8News at the scene that none of the victims are believed to be suspects, adding, that there is a gunman on the run.
Geneva Jackson lives just steps away from where the shooting took place. On Tuesday, she described what she did to stay safe during the chaotic scene.
“I’m sorry for whoever got hurt. I just heard a lot of shooting,” Jackson told 8News. “I got down on the floor.”
Jackson said she worried for her older neighbors, adding that she condemns the violence.
“[I was] hoping don’t nothing come through my window or hurt my neighbors because I’m close to my neighbors,” she explained. “That’s what it is, is a bunch of nonsense.”
To the shooter, Jackson said “They’re not thinking about the elderly people that live out here, the disabled, the children. Everyone is affected, you know what I’m saying? A stray bullet could have hit anybody.”
“Being a mother and being in the projects, you worry about your child or if that’s your child that’s out there getting hurt, you know? I just thank god it wasn’t mine. I really do. I just thank god it wasn’t mine. It ain’t one of mine.”
This is a developing story. Stay with 8News for updates.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Major Crimes Detective G. Bailey at (804) 646-6743 or Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000.