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Woman arrested for Ashland Walmart murder

Posted at 11:29 PM, Feb 19, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-20 00:58:35-05

ASHLAND, Va. -- Authorities have arrested a 24-year-old woman they say shot and killed Ashley Fricke outside the Walmart superstore in Ashland on Saturday night.

Ashland police said Brittany L. Wiggins, of the 9000 block of Guenevere Place in Mechanicsville, was arrested in Ashland and charged with First-Degree Murder, Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony and Shooting into an Occupied Vehicle.

Chip Watts with Ashland Police said Wiggins is being held at the Pamunkey Regional Jail.

"We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the media for quickly broadcasting information related to this crime as well as to the public in the effort to assist us in making this arrest," Watts said.

Officials asked the community to keep Fricke’s family in their thoughts and prayers.

Brittany L. Wiggins

Brittany L. Wiggins

Victim was engaged 

Fricke, 25, was found in a car parked outside the store at about 11 p.m. when police were called to the 100 Hill Carter Parkway to investigate a shooting.

Fricke suffered a single gunshot wound and died at the scene, police said.

Fricke worked at the Holiday Inn near Walmart while she earned her degree as medical assistant, according to family friends.

Employees at the hotel described her as sweet.

"She worked hard to get her degree as medical assistant and worked part time for the hotel to pay for her education," family friend Julie Ross wrote. "She deserves to have her accomplishments recognized. She was an amazing young lady."

Ross said Fricke began working at Lakeside Primary Care in August and "had a bright future ahead of her."

The Caroline County High School graduate was engaged to be married and lived with her fiance in Hanover County.

Anyone with information that could help investigators should call Ashland Police at 804-730-6140 or Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.

Stay with WTVR.com and watch CBS 6 News for updates on this developing story. 

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