Actions

2 men hit in 2 separate Petersburg shootings

Posted at 7:35 AM, Jan 03, 2019
and last updated 2019-01-03 12:32:00-05

PETERSBURG, Va. -- A Petersburg man shot on Greenwood Drive early Thursday morning was taken to the hospital with a life-threatening injury, according to Petersburg Police.

Police were called to the 300 block of Greenwood Drive at about 1 a.m. to investigate the shooting.

The Greenwood Drive shooting call came hours after another man was shot in the city.

Earlier in the evening, a man was shot near the intersection of South Crater Road and Graham Road.

The shooting was reported at about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. It happened just feet away from Zhé Aqueen's home.

"There were two shots that went off, right? Pow, pow. They were right there," said Aqueen.

She said she was sitting at the dinner table with her boyfriend when she heard them.

"I say wow, that was really close. We kind of look at each other," Aqueen said.

She said after ducking down, she looked outside to see a car sitting at the intersection -- not moving.

"Then a minute goes by, we hear 'honk, honk,'" Aqueen said. "He's not going, and that's when I knew. That truck is going to make a right turn. The light is green. Something's wrong."

Aqueen then stepped outside and captured the scene in a Facebook Live that would be shared hundreds of times. In that post, she urged people to 'put the guns down.'

"It starts with one person to voice it," Aqueen said. Adding that the shooting brings up another recent trauma.

"I lost my uncle, and he was kind of like everyone's uncle," Aqueen said. "I'm still hurt about it. I cry. I think about it every day."

She said her uncle was shot and killed in March of 2018 -- just blocks away from Wednesday evening's shooting. She recalled what her uncle was like.

"One of those smiles. It was just contagious. Someone to hug you when you felt down."

Aqueen said stopping violence in Petersburg is no easy task, but believes it starts with one person.

"There's so much that we could do in Petersburg to uplift and cultivate. But we have to start with the people."

Until then Aqueen sent her condolences to the friends and family of the victim.

"I hope the victim can pull through," she said. "I can only imagine."

Police said that victim was shot multiple times. He was flown to VCU Medical Center in Richmond, for treatment of life-threatening injuries.

Police have not yet released the names of the shooting victims, nor information on whether they think the shootings were related.

This is a developing story. Witnesses can send news tips. photos, and video here.

Police asked anyone with information to call the Petersburg Police, non-emergency number at (804) 732-4222.

CBS6-News-at-4pm-and-Jennifer-Hudson-480x360.jpg

Entertainment

Watch 'The Jennifer Hudson Show' weekdays at 3 p.m. on CBS 6!

📱 Download CBS 6 News App
The app features breaking news alerts, live video, weather radar, traffic incidents, closings and delays and more.