Richmond Police Dismiss Election Link in GOP Office Shooting
A woman was injured in a dispute outside the Republican Party of Virginia headquarters, with police stating the incident was unrelated to the upcoming midterms.
By Adriana Abebe ·
Staff at the Republican Party of Virginia offices in Richmond continued working after a shooting occurred directly in front of their building on Thursday afternoon. The party’s chief financial officer, Frank Loehr, said the incident did not stem from election activities, a position police chief Rick Edwards confirmed in a briefing.
Around 1:45 p.m., a woman was struck by a bullet while standing on the sidewalk. Edwards described her injuries as non-life-threatening and noted she was expected to survive. The victim had been interacting with two individuals operating an unaffiliated booth outside the party headquarters when the gunfire erupted.
Police believe the shooter was a woman inside a hair salon across the street. She remains in custody and told detectives she fired in self-defense against a man with whom she had an ongoing dispute. That man entered the salon, and police found blood at the scene, leading them to believe he may have been injured as well.
Edwards urged the man to turn himself in for medical care and to speak with detectives. He emphasized that the victim was an innocent bystander who happened to be on the block at the time of the shooting.
Loehr recounted that he and other staff heard the shots while inside the office. The injured woman was brought into the building, where she appeared conscious and in pain. Loehr observed that she seemed to have been hit in the shoulder. First responders arrived quickly and transported her to a hospital.
Loehr told reporters he remained shaken by the event but stressed that the shooting was distinct from the party’s political work. The woman who fired the shots is currently held by Richmond Police as they investigate the dispute.
