2 killed, 7 injured in Shockoe Bottom mass shooting; victim identified as innocent bystander

RICHMOND, Va. — Two people were killed and seven others injured in a shooting early Saturday morning in Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom neighborhood, police said. The gunfire was reported around 2:47 a.m. on North 18th Street.

According to Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards, an officer was already in the area and saw “a large commotion.” He said the officer saw what appeared to be a fight in the street with cars speeding away. She responded within seconds and found an adult woman suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

That woman has been identified by family as 23-year-old Genesis Jones of Petersburg, Crime Insider Jon Burkett reported. Police later identified the other victim as 42-year-old Dominic Jackson of Henrico. Family members tell Burkett that the father of two was a soon-to-be grandfather.

Provided to WTVR

Local News

Police ID victims, recover 50+ shell casings in Richmond mass shooting

WTVR CBS 6 Web Staff

Victim remembered by family

Jones’s older brother, Zekiah Jones, told CBS 6 the family had come to Shockoe Bottom from Petersburg to celebrate their younger brother’s birthday.

He said Genesis was simply walking down the street when she was struck by gunfire.

Zekiah said he initially didn’t think much when he heard the shots because, sadly, “people shoot all the time in Shockoe Bottom.”

Provided to WTVR

Moments later, friends arrived to tell him his sister had been killed.

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

Zekiah described his sister as “the life of the party,” someone who loved bringing people together. “She’s going to be truly missed,” he said.

“From what the police are telling me, she was not a part of it… She was about good vibes, wanting everybody to have a good time and get along,” he said.

He also shared a message about ending violence.

“I was always against guns, but now it really hits home. 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.”

Victim breakdown

Chief Edwards said nine people, ranging in age from 23 to 42, were shot:

• Two deceased: Genesis Jones and Dominic Jackson
• Four men were wounded with injuries not considered life-threatening
• Three women were wounded. One suffered life-threatening injuries while the other two have injuries not considered life-threatening

Four of the wounded were transported by the Richmond Ambulance Authority; three others arrived in private vehicles.

WATCH: Mayor, police chief give update after deadly Richmond mass shooting

Investigation reveals possible earlier interaction

CBS 6 is giving you a voice. Have a news tip or concern in your community?

Connect with WTVR: newstips@wtvr.com

Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube

Edwards said all bars in the area were closed when the shooting occurred.

"I can confirm that this did not originate in a club, and all the bars were closed at 2 a.m. This was people hanging out on the streets. Two groups of individuals started fighting," Edwards said.

However, police are investigating whether the groups may have encountered each other earlier in the evening.

"The videos that I've seen seem to show people starting a verbal argument, then physical fight, and then, very quickly, guns are brought out," Edwards said.

Police recovered two firearms from the scene but believe there are more. The ATF is assisting with ballistic analysis to help speed up the investigation process.

"There were multiple individuals shooting. That's what I'm prepared to say at this time," Edwards said, declining to provide a specific number of suspects.

Local News

Police chief: Officer saw 'large fight' seconds before Richmond mass shooting

WTVR CBS 6 Web Staff

Chaos in Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom

Witnesses told CBS 6 they heard what sounded like automatic gunfire getting closer and closer.

Bartenders near 18th and Franklin said customers ducked behind the bar for safety.

Burkett described the scene as “mad chaos” with cars riddled with bullets, patrons scrambling for shelter, and forensic teams collecting shell casings from vehicles and streets.

Edwards confirmed “several cars have been hit by bullets.” Detectives are reviewing surveillance footage and using technology to identify suspects.

Local News

PHOTOS: 9 shot, 2 killed, in Richmond mass shooting

Police seek community video evidence

Edwards said detectives, along with the real-time crime center, have been working to analyze video surveillance and talk with witnesses since the early morning hours.

"A lot of forensic material was recovered here," Edwards said, describing one of the largest crime scenes the department has processed.

The chief made a specific appeal for video evidence from the community, particularly from people who may have filmed the initial fight. Anyone with video of the confrontations that led to the shootings is urged to send the files to 804-546-7323 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.

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

"We've seen the surveillance footage. We've seen people were filming the fight ahead of time, so we need those individuals who left the scene to provide that to our investigators," Edwards said.

Edwards stressed there is no continued threat to the public.

"We believe this was individuals engaged in a fight," Edwards said. "Multiple people entered that fight with firearms in hand, and shots rang out from multiple different individuals."

Anyone with information about the crime was urged to call Major Crimes Detective J. DeBoard at 804-646-6795 or contact Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000. The P3 Tips Crime Stoppers app can also be used. All Crime Stoppers reporting methods are anonymous.

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.