Marine veteran dies in wounded Richmond man’s arms: ‘He shot at me twice’

RICHMOND, Va. -- An injured man attempted to render aid to his dying roommate after a shooter opened fire inside their Southside home.

Richmond Police responded to a call for a man with a gunshot wound at a home along the 900 block of Belt Boulevard near the intersection of Stockton Street around 11:45 p.m. Wednesday.

When officers arrived, they found Kenneth L. Brown, of the 900 block of Belt Boulevard, unresponsive and suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Mercante said.

Additionally, officers found another man, Ben Cody, suffering from apparent gunshot wound. He was transported to an area hospital with an injury that was not considered life-threatening.

"He reported an unknown male entered the home and shot both victims before fleeing on foot," James Mercante, a spokesperson for Richmond Police, said.

Ben Cody

Ben Cody said he met the would-be shooter briefly in the living room of the home he shares with his roommate of four years.

"I met him that night, personally. He shook my hand and everything. Then they went in the bedroom," Cody recalled. "Not even five minutes later, there was loud banging, rustling and fighting."

Cody recalled jumping off the couch and encountering the man in the hallway.

"He had his gun out and shot at me -- twice. I dodged one bullet and got hit by the other one," Cody remembered. "He then ran out of the home."

While bleeding from the gunshot wound in his right bicep, Cody said he stumbled to the bedroom and found his roommate struggling to breath.

Cody said Brown, who he described as a Marine veteran who was injured during combat overseas, died in his arms.

"I just said, 'Hold on, man. We’re going to get help. You’re going to be alright,'" Cody said. "But he didn’t make it."

Cody called 911 and was rushed to Chippenham Hospital. He was forced to make a difficult phone call to his roommate's parents from his hospital bed.

Cody hoped there will be justice for his best friend.

"He was a very kind person. And he was always so giving and he just always looked for the best in people. He was a really good spirit and I enjoyed living with him for the four years that I was there with him. And it’s a tragedy that he’s not here now," he said.

Officers and K-9s search for clues.

At noon Thursday, officers returned to the home with K-9s to search for clues.

Richmond Police had not yet released information surrounding the shooting or about a possible suspect.