Brother remembers little sister killed in Shockoe Bottom shooting: 'She was the life of the party’

RICHMOND, Va. — The family of Genesis Jones is remembering her as a vibrant, beloved young woman who loved bringing people together.

Jones, 23, was killed early Saturday morning in a mass shooting in Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom neighborhood, which left two people dead and seven others injured.

Provided to WTVR

She was in the city’s entertainment district with loved ones to celebrate her younger brother’s birthday.

Her older brother, Zekiah Jones, told CBS 6 that the night had been full of good vibes until gunfire erupted.

"We were outside of Mamacita’s, we heard a few shots go off, like 10 to 15 shots,” Zekiah said. “One of them actually went past my head and hit the building.”

Minutes later, friends arrived and shared that Genesis had been hit and killed.

Zekiah described the violence as unfortunately typical for the area. "I just heard the shots, and I saw people running and... that's just Shockoe Bottom. It's sad that that's a part of Shockoe Bottom life," he said.

COMPLETE COVERAGE: 9 people wounded, 2 killed, in Richmond mass shooting

"It’s more so shocking… She was so young, 23," Zekiah said. "She didn’t have a chance to really live life yet. She’s still a baby… our baby."

Zekiah said Richmond police believe Genesis wasn’t part of any argument or altercation before the shooting.

She was simply walking through the area when she was caught in the chaos, he said.

"She was about good vibes, wanting everybody to have a good time and get along,” Zekiah said. “She was the life of the party.”

A call to end violence

Zekiah said the tragedy reinforced his belief that communities need to come together to stop gun violence.

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The tragedy has left Zekiah questioning why violent crime continues despite police presence in the entertainment district.

"I was always against guns, but now it really hits home," he said. "We, as the people — no matter race or gender — have to come together. The violence has to stop. Not only is my family affected, but there were other victims and families affected. No family should have to feel this, especially during this time of year. We came to celebrate, and now we’re leaving in grief."

The mass shooting marks the city's most violent incident so far in 2026.

Remembering Genesis

Zekiah says his sister loved fun, friendship, and love.

“She was all for people getting together, having fun, loving each other," he said. “That’s ultimately what I feel like we were put on this earth to do — love one another — and she’s going to be truly missed.”

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.