RICHMOND, Va. -- Two people were killed and 10 adults were injured in eight shootings between Friday and Sunday in Richmond, according to Richmond Police.
On Monday, police identified a 26-year-old woman killed in a Friday afternoon shooting outside a Richmond elementary school. Crime Insider sources told Jon Burkett that shooting victim Imani Hill knew the person arrested after the shooting.
On Saturday morning, two men were critically injured in a shooting on Westover Hills Boulevard and Bassett Avenue.
On Sunday afternoon, a triple shooting was reported near Fairfield Elementary School. Police were called to the 2500 Block of Phaup Street just before 2:10 p.m. where they found two men with life-threatening gunshot wounds. Authorities say a third victim walked into an area hospital, but there has been no update on their condition.
"Violence is spiraling out of control, that we would have so many shootings in the last few days, and on school grounds," Richmond School Board member Jonathan Young said.
On Sunday night around 8:50 p.m., a homicide was reported in Shockoe Bottom near East Cary and South 22nd Street. Police found a man with a gunshot wound inside a car who was pronounced dead at the scene. Another man arrived at an area hospital with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds. Detectives said that the two incidents are connected.
"This is a stark reminder that guns are not the solution. As a community, we must find more constructive ways of resolving conflict with each other," Richmond Police said in a Monday statement.
Richmond City Councilman Michael Jones said it's hard to determine short-term fixes to what he called a long-term problem.
"Let's put together a few million dollars, get as many social workers, case workers, out here in these streets. Let's get the violence interrupters out here right now to start dealing with some of the issues right now that are going on, and hopefully, we can put together enough pieces to this pie, that we can keep our young folk and everyone safe," Jones said.
"We just have to really dig in there and get back to some of this community policing, boots on the ground, type of policing that's been done in the past," Richmond City Councilmember Kristen Nye said.
As of right now, there are more than 100 vacant positions in Richmond's police department.
"Certainly, anything that could help us continue to really boost our numbers in our police force and help us recruit and retain police officers is what we need here," Nye said. "It's really hard when we're short-staffed to be everywhere all the time."
All of these investigations are ongoing. Police are encouraging anyone to share any information they have to help.
"Detectives are working feverishly at the moment. We are really appealing for the community's help in this," Tracy Walker, a spokesperson with the police department, said in an email to CBS 6.
Richmond Policereported 45 homicides in the City of Richmond so far in 2022. That compares to 64 homicides during the same time period in 2021.
Richmond Police crime stats also indicated there have been 263 aggravated assaults in which a gun was involved. so far in 2022. That number was 236 at this time last year.
