RICHMOND, Va. -- The gunman or gunmen who fired at least dozen shots into a northbound car on Interstate 95 in Richmond late Wednesday have not been apprehended or identified and the Virginia State Police are asking for help.
Craig Sargeant, of Richmond, was seriously injured in the bullet-riddled car that crashed and flipped below the E. Broad Street overpass at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday. He was taken to VCU Medical Center for wounds caused by both the gunfire and the crash, police reported.
"State police have determined through evidence collection and witness statements that the [2001] Nissan was traveling north on I-95 when a grayish vehicle pulled up alongside and an individual or individuals began shooting at the Nissan," Virginia State Police spokesman Sgt. Steve Vick said. "State police recovered as evidence more than a dozen shell casings from the northbound lanes of I-95 between the Bells Road Exit 69 and the Broad Street Exit 74C."
Vick declined to specify what led up to the shooting, but stressed, "We don't have a random shooter going around . . . We can say this was an isolated incident," he said. "Not a threat to public safety."
He declined to say if investigators know of any relationship between the victim and the shooter or shooters, and what the victim was able to tell police.
Court records show Sargeant was living in the 1100 block of Gilpin Court in 2012 when he was arrested for possessing heroin with intent to distribute it and being a felon in possession of a firearm. A plea deal in 2013 led to suspended sentences. We went to the address listed in those court documents but the person answering the door had no knowledge of him. Other court documents at the time indicated a Chester address. A check of other area courts show no problems since the 2013 case.
Vick said drivers should call police if they encounter a similar situation on the highway.
"It's not worth it to get into a confrontation. Get a tag number, a vehicle description, a description of the driver if you can, but take yourself out of that situation," Vick said.
Anyone who witnessed the shooting or has any knowledge of the unknown gray vehicle and those inside are asked to call Virginia State Police at 804-553-3445, or #77 on a cell phone.