PETERSBURG, Va. — A 19-year-old man has been arrested and charged with murder in connection to a deadly triple shooting that happened in Petersburg Tuesday night.
According to Petersburg Police, three people were shot in the 1500 block of E. Washington Street around 6:30 p.m. That's where police found one man dead.
That victim was later identified as Tyquan Ridges, according to police.
Two other victims of the shooting were found on Locust Street and High Pearl Street, but police said all three victims were shot on E. Washington Street. Police have not given any details on the extent of their injuries.
Dwight Delano Scott, Jr. of Petersburg was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony in connection to Ridges' death.
"I was headed out the back door and I heard two rounds go off," Melvin Gore, who lives near where the shooting happened, said.
When Gore heard gunfire from the East Washington Street gas station just a few hundred feet from his house, he went inside to call the police.
"By the time I went and grabbed my phone and dialed 911, they were going at it.
Gore said he then heard two different guns firing.
"One of them, he wasn't pulling the trigger because you could hear, boom, boom, boom, boom. He held on the trigger and there was another one shooting, 10 or 20, 30 rounds easily," Gore said.
Other neighbors told CBS6 that some of those involved continued firing guns as they ran down Slagle Street, leaving houses and cars with bullet holes.
"You had people out on foot, ran down the alleyway and then they went down to Pin Oak," Gore said.
Outside the gas station, glass windows were shattered by some of the bullets.
Surveillance video from the gas station captured the shooting as it happened.
At first, one person left the store and headed across the parking lot. This person was followed shortly by another person who pulled out what appeared to be a handgun. This person then began to fire at the first person.
Both then took off running in the direction of Slagle St. A third person then exited the store and ran off in the same direction.
Meanwhile, inside the store, when the first shooting happened, a man who was buying something at the cash register reacted and pulled out what appeared to be a long gun out of the front of their pants.
The man with the long gun then followed another man who appeared to be holding a handgun out of the store.
Within moments of the two men leaving the front door, the person in front turned around and fired at the man with the long gun. The man with the long gun was shot several more times after he hit the ground.
The man with the handgun then went back into the store when someone who was already outside ran up and pulled the long gun from the man who had been shot. The man with the handgun then left the store with two others about 30 seconds later before getting in a car and leaving.
Neighbors said this is the second shooting at the gas station in less than a month. Police records show a shooting in the same block on March 23.
For Gore, the incident has shaken him to the point where he has changed his habits in order to stay safe.
"I used to walk this neighborhood at nighttime. I don't walk outside after dark," Gore said.
A spokesperson for the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Authority said it is involved in the investigation as well:
"Virginia ABC is working with Petersburg police to conduct a public safety investigation following a shooting on April 12, in the 1500 block of E. Washington Street in the vicinity of an ABC licensed establishment. This is a standard practice anytime an act of violence results in a death or bodily harm in or near a licensed establishment. When responding to a public safety investigation, ABC agents assess all relevant facts and circumstances of each incident to determine if the act of violence is in any way attributable to or stemming from violations of law or regulations in the operation of the licensed establishment."
Anyone with information is asked to call (804) 861-1212 or submit a tip on p3tips.com.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
