HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- Police are investigating after a child was shot at a Henrico County apartment complex Monday afternoon. Henrico Police said the juvenile victim has been transported to the hospital with critical injuries.
A woman who said she was the shooting victim's grandmother said the three-year-old girl was sleeping in her mother's bed when a bullet came through the wall.
Spoke with the grandmother of the three year old little girl who was shot here. She says the little girl was sleeping in her mother’s bed when the bullet came through the wall. Seeing her pain was very hard. @CBS6 pic.twitter.com/FFtr1HtR0u
— Jake Burns (@JakeBurnsCBS6) June 22, 2020
Police responded to the shooting in 300 block of Exmore Court at the St. Luke Apartments, near East Laburnum Avenue, at about 12:30 p.m. Monday.
Multiple witnesses tell CBS 6 a chaotic scene unfolded in broad daylight. Several heard the shots, saying there were multiple fired by multiple people.
Brian Pearson, who lives directly across the road from the shooting scene, was taking out the trash when he heard the gunfire begin.
“Heard a little commotion, next thing you know guys shooting back and forth at each other,” he said. “It just sucks at the end of the day because my daughter would normally be out here playing with her, my neighbor be out here playing with his kids. It just happened we took her to daycare today. But I mean, I just want to pray that everybody can do better because we got to do better together.”
Pearson said he knows the family of the little girl who was struck, saying they are wonderful people who are always outside cooking out and spending time with each other.
“No child deserves to be in a predicament like this,” said Pearson.
One of the child’s family members, who was visibly upset, spoke directly to the shooters, saying “if you want to fire guns, go to a shooting range or field,” not where bullets hit little girls.
Seeing police investigators tape off an area where he normally sees the three-year old playing got Pearson thinking about why he coaches high school sports.
“You know, when I was growing up, my father wasn’t in my life, so I love to see the smile on other kids faces. I have four kids of my own. I try to be a better man, better dad each day. That’s why I go into it, to help more youth. Let them know that in this crazy world we live in, there’s always better options out there.”
Detectives are in the preliminary stages of the shooting investigation, according to police. No additional details surrounding the shooting have been released at this time.
If you have information that could help detectives, call Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000 or Henrico Police at 804-501-5000.
