RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond Police have identified the man shot and killed in a Southside apartment complex parking lot early Thursday morning as 38-year-old Thomas Caldwell of Richmond.
Officers were called to the 1000 block of German School Road at 1:05 a.m. Thursday after reports of a person shot. When they arrived, they found Caldwell unresponsive in the parking lot, suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Caldwell did not live at the German School Road complex, according to Crime Insider sources. Sources also say the shooter had been seen around the area before and after the shots were fired and fled the scene immediately after the shooting.
The Medical Examiner will determine the cause and manner of death.
Police have not released information on potential suspects. Anyone with information is asked to call Major Crimes Detective P. Ripley at 804-646-0423. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers by calling 804-780-1000 or through the P3 Tips app.
Neighbor recounts scene
Alphonso Crews, a disabled and retired resident of the complex, said he heard the gunshots from inside his home.
Crews said he was later awakened by a knock at his door.
"About an hour later, I heard a knock on the door. Who's knocking on my door this time of night? I peeked through the door and all these police cars were out here, so now I come out to find out what was going on, they were knocking on everybody's doors," Crews said.
When he came outside, Crews said he saw a man dead in the parking lot. Gunshot holes were visible in the windshield and roof of a pickup truck, with blood on the side of the vehicle and splatter marks on three nearby cars. Crews said the victim appeared to have smeared blood on cars while trying to run from the scene before collapsing.
Cruz Sherman, a chaplain who assists the Richmond Police Department with their RESET Team following homicides, said residents need to keep demanding change.
"They're going to have to start making some noise to get the security, to get the things that they need to feel safe. Like I said, the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Unless we start making more noise, unless we get angry, unless we stop accepting the status quo, we're going to continue to have this. So, let's not just be laissez-faire with this anymore. It's time to let people know, damn it, we're tired," Sherman said.
Sherman said the broader problem reflects a troubling shift in values.
"They don't have any respect for humanity now, and we are seeing an increasing number of people in our culture that, frankly, don't give a damn," Sherman said.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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