On Tuesday evening, residents of Spotsylvania County in Virginia were terrorized when shots rang out at a townhouse complex. The Virginia mass shooting claimed the lives of three residents, with three more injured. Residents were asked to stay inside while police officials continued their investigation. As of Tuesday night, at least one shooter was still on the run from law enforcement, although by Wednesday, it appeared all suspects were in custody.
Virginia Mass Shooting Terrorizes Town
At 5:30 PM on Tuesday, April 8, 9-1-1 calls began coming in about an alleged shooting incident in Olde Greenwich Circle. When police arrived, they found multiple individuals who appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds. All victims of the Virginia mass shooting were found outside upon arrival, with three dead and another three injured. All injured citizens were taken to local area hospitals to be treated.
Officials at the time urged all residents to stay away from the crime scene and stay inside their homes, according to reports. Police were still investigating the incident, and no arrests had been made at the time. They believed the suspect or suspects to be on the run and could pose a threat to public safety. According to the sheriff’s office spokesperson, Maj. Elizabeth Scott, police investigation indicated there could be multiple shooters.
“There’s dozens upon dozens of officers out actively looking for suspects and preserving the crime scene. We will be here all night until we find the suspects,” stated Scott on Tuesday evening. She also urged any witnesses to come forward, and if they had video of the shooting, to turn it in to police investigators.
Suspects Found Wednesday Morning
On Wednesday morning, April 9, all Virginia mass shooting suspects had been taken into custody. According to the Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s office social media account, “All suspects are in custody, and there is no threat to public safety.” It remains unclear how many individuals were arrested and what the charges were in connection with the shooting. Both the Virginia State Police and the Fredericksburg Police Department have been assisting the sheriff’s office with the investigation.
It is unclear at this time what the motive behind the shooting was. On Wednesday, Fredericksburg City Public Schools delayed the opening of the schools by two hours. In an official release, the school stated the delay was “in light of the profound impact this incident has had on members of our school community. This delay will allow us the necessary time to prepare our buildings and staff to welcome students with the care and support they may need during this difficult time.” Later on, it was announced that all Spotsylvania County schools would follow the same delay in response to the Virginia Mass shooting incident.
The investigation remains ongoing, and the public is urged to continue to provide any information that is key to the incident. Police officials state that more information will be made available to the public later today.
