Two dead after 9 shootings in Richmond in under a week

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — A woman is in the hospital after a shooting on Wednesday night, marking the ninth shooting in Richmond in under a week.

According to the Richmond Police Department, at around 8:29 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17, officers responded to a report of a shooting on the 1900 block of Mechanicsville Turnpike.

The shooting was determined to have taken place on the 2300 block of Carmine Street in Whitcomb Court and the victim is in the hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening.

This shooting comes after the Richmond Police Department reported a 12% decrease in shootings from last year.

“Crime is down,” said United Communities Against Violence Executive Director Charles Willis. “But we’ve seen a spike in crime in April and we’ve seen a spike in crime this past weekend.”

Last night’s shooting was the seventh non-fatal shooting since Saturday, July 13. That day, two people were shot on East Brookland Park Boulevard .

The next day, officers responded to a report of another shooting on German School Road near Jahnke Road, where 56-year-old George Phillips, Jr. was found dead in the street . That evening, a woman was found shot on the 2200 block of Fairfield Avenue.

On Monday, July 15, a man was grazed by a bullet in an alleged drive-by shooting in the city’s Northside. The same day, a man was allegedly shot in the leg during an argument on the 2100 block of Newbourne Street.

On Tuesday morning, a 37-year-old man was shot and killed in Whitcomb Court . A 16-year-old boy was arrested on Wednesday and charged with murder in connection to the shooting.

After these incidents, community leaders say education is the most important preventative tactic.

“Education, education, education,” Willis said. “You have to be educated about proper use of gun violence and practice de-escalation.”

Anyone with more information on these shootings should contact Richmond Police at 804-646-5112.

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