RICHMOND, VA. (WRIC) – A stream of gun violence over six days in which six people died and at least four others were injured raises questions about when and by what means it will end.
Less than 12 hours after a 15-year-old boy was shot dead in Southside Thursday, a man was fatally struck with a fatal bullet outside a supermarket near Gilpin Court early Friday morning.
A city that appears to be under attack as five of the six dead were 21 years of age and under.
“It’s all over this city,” Councilor Reva Trammell told 8News Friday.
After Police Chief Gerald Smith asked the public to ease tension among young people, Trammell said, “They don’t speak out, they don’t work it out. Shoot or stab someone or beat someone up, that’s not the answer. “
Man shot in front of the supermarket in Richmond
Trammell, chair of the city council’s public safety committee, said she feared the violence could keep up if police are unsupported and personnel issues are addressed.
“We have to bring the community police back …” Trammell said. “… we need to see more support for our cops out here.”
Lives lost this week: a 17-year-old Sunday, a 20-year-old VCU student on Monday, a 21-year-old female on Tuesday, an 18-year-old Henrico County student on Wednesday, a 15-year-old boy Thursday and a other man Friday morning.
Two men, a girl and a boy, were also shot dead this week, but they are expected to recover from their injuries.
On Thursday, Chief Smith asked residents to help where they can while he reached out to reporters after the fifth death investigation opened.
“What can we do for the summer? These kids have been inside for over a year and they are restless and it’s starting to show up. I think it’s only the responsibility of the city, the community, and society to come together to find something we can do to help these children, ”said Smith.
After the death toll soared this week, Mayor Levar Stoney took to Twitter and said, “We will do everything we can to bring the perpetrators to justice, and gun violence is” a crisis that we must face directly, boldly at the root causes tackle … “.
Stoney did not expand his and his administration’s plans to combat gun violence. His team did not respond to 8News’ request for comment and interview.
As of Friday evening, police had not announced any charges related to the fatal shootings.