RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Central Virginia saw a surge in gun violence throughout the Fourth of July weekend, with at least 12 reported shootings in the Metro Richmond area.
10 people were killed from late Thursday night to early Monday morning.
Totals from the violent weekend:
- Chesterfield: three shootings; two dead, one hurt.
- Richmond: five shootings; four dead, two hurt.
- Hopewell: one shooting; one dead.
- Henrico: three shootings; three dead, two hurt.
Chesterfield
On Thursday, July 1 around 10:20 p.m., Chesterfield Police found a man suffering from multiple gunshots wounds in the 5100 block of Gatebridge Road. The man was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
On Saturday, July 3, there were two more shootings in Chesterfield County. Around 4 a.m., a 31-year-old man was found dead with gunshot wounds on the 3000 block of Lancers Blvd. He was identified as Ever Edgardo Flores Moya.
At 3:15 p.m. that same day, 22-year-old Darius Royster was found dead from a gunshot wound on the 5500 block of Handel Court. Police arrested 18-year-old Michael T. Haywood on Monday in connection to the shooting.
Anyone with information on these incidents should contact the Chesterfield County Police Department at 804-748-1251 or Crime Solvers at 804-748-0660 or through the P3 app.
Richmond
On Saturday, July 3, Richmond saw two shootings. Richmond Police said officers were on patrol in Shockoe Bottom when they heard shots fired around 1:30 a.m. Officers arrested a suspect in the 100 block of N. 17th St. They also found a man nearby with a non-life threatening gunshot wound. Police sources told 8News the man was shot in the arm. This happened in the same area as last month’s quadruple shooting near the Exxon in Shockoe Bottom.
Around 4 p.m. Saturday, two men were found dead with gunshot wounds at a convenience store in the 1500 block of Mechanicsville Turnpike. Detectives believe 28-year-old Grant Ellison of Richmond shot and killed 24-year-old Tephon Reid of Chester. A third person who was previously uninvolved in the incident then shot and killed Ellison, according to RPD. Detectives are not looking for any further suspects at this time but the investigation continues.
On Sunday, July 4 around 10 p.m., Richmond officers were called to the 2500 block of Rosetta St. where they found 32-year-old Laron Harrison suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to the hospital where he died.
Richmond saw two more shootings on Monday, July 5. Just after 2 a.m., officers were called to a business in the 4600 block of Richmond Highway for the report of a person shot, according to RPD. Officers found a man in the parking lot suffering from an non-life threatening gunshot wound. The victim was taken to the hospital.
Anyone with information on the above incidents is asked to call Major Crimes Detective B. Neifeld at 804-646-3246 or Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.
Around 4 a.m. Monday, Virginia State Police responded to I-64 near the Shockoe Valley Bridge to find one person was shot. Timothy Richardson, a 23-year-old man, was in the passenger seat of a Kia sedan driving in the left lane when he was shot by someone driving in a sedan to the right. Richardson died at the hospital. The investigation shut down all lanes of westbound I-64 in Richmond Monday morning.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Virginia State Police at 804-609-5656 or email questions@vsp.virginia.gov.
Henrico
On Saturday, July 3, Henrico Police responded to the 4500 block of S. Laburnum Ave. around 5:30 p.m. where they found two people shot at White Oak Shopping Center. A girl under the age of 18 was pronounced dead on scene and another was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
On Sunday, July 4 just before 11 p.m., there was a double shooting on the 2800 block of Fairfield Ave. 27-year-old Steven Milton Whisnant, III was pronounced dead on scene. Another man was taken to the hospital with critical injuries.
Just before midnight on July 4, police responded to the 300 block of Engleside Drive where 19-year-old Marquan Demont Lane was seriously hurt in a shooting. He was taken to the hospital where he later died.
Anyone with information on these incidents is asked to call Henrico Police 804-501-5000 or Crime Stoppers 804-780-1000.
Hopewell
Around 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 4, Hopewell Police responded to Arlington Park where a young man was found dead in the road with gunshot wounds. Authorities also found several vehicles at the park with damage caused by gunshots. The victim was identified by Hopewell PD as 18-year-old Joshua Israel Psalms Arrington.
The Hopewell Police Department is requesting that any person(s) who may have any information to provide and been in the area to contact Lead Detective Kate Williamson of the Hopewell Criminal Investigations Unit at 804-541-2284.
Persons with information on this crime and who wish to remain anonymous may contact the Hopewell Prince George Crimesolvers hotline in Hopewell at 804-541-2202 or provide their tip using the P3tips mobile app.
