Virginia police are searching for multiple suspects after amass shootingearly Feb. 21 that left nine people shot, including two fatally.
Just after 2:45 a.m., Richmond police responded to a shooting in progress in the Shockoe Bottom neighborhood, just east of the city's downtown, according to dispatch logs. Police Chief Rick Edwardstold reportersan officer nearby saw a large fight in the street and cars speeding. He added firearms appeared to escalate the brawl, which began as a verbal argument before worsening.
"My message would be leave your guns at home," Edwards said in a news conference, adding the shooting showed "it ends in tragedies like what we saw this morning."
Police found Genesis Jones, 23, of Petersburg, and Dominic Jackson, 42, of Henrico County, with multiple gunshot wounds who were pronounced dead on scene, Edwards said.
Four other people with non-life threatening gunshot wounds were transported by ambulance to local hospitals. Three additional people also went to local hospitals in private vehicles, Edwards said. The seven people wounded include three men and four women.
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Police have recovered over 50 cartridge casings and two firearms at the scene, Edwards said. Police suspected there were more weapons used in the shooting.
Police asked for the public's assistance in the ongoing investigation, Edwards said. There have been no arrests at this time, police department spokesman James Mercante said.
Shockoe Bottom is a historic Richmond neighborhood known for bars and restaurants. Local bars were closed by 2 a.m., Edwards said.
Prior to the shooting, Richmond had three homicides in 2026. The two deaths in the shooting are pending the medical examiner's determination for cause and manner of death, according to a police advisory. Richmond had seen drops in killings and non-fatal shootings, Edwards said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Virginia police search for suspects in mass shooting in Richmond