RICHMOND, Va. — Kevin Starlings jumped into action on Monday night when shots rang out at the corner of Azalea Avenue and Chamberlayne Road.
Starlings was driving a different route to pick up his son from football practice when he was stopped at the intersection. Once shots were fired, he saw people fleeing the scene but noticed a man on the ground who needed help.
"This guy is on the ground... He needs help. That is someone’s son, could be a father... could be me and I’d want someone to help me," Starlings said. "God has a way of putting you in places at the right time."
He assisted with first aid until responding officers arrived.
The victim, identified as 24-year-old Lamont Hawley-Barrow, was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Another woman who was shot is recovering from her injuries.
The rise in gun violence has been alarming, particularly among youth. Over the last 10 days, four children have been victims of gun violence, including the recent murder of a 15-year-old girl in Jackson Ward. Starlings expressed concern about these trends.
"If we want change — we as a community need to come together," he said. "We have to stop looking outside for others to do what I truly believe we can do for ourselves and make it better and safer for our kids, our families, and generations to come."
Starlings, who has witnessed various waves of violence over the decades, referred to Monday’s events, which followed a series of violent incidents in the city.
“I know as a city, as a people, we are tired of it,” Starlings said. “We continue to blame politicians and those in leadership when we still aren’t doing our part. That means educating our kids, educating our friends. That’s being a real friend and telling them this is not the right thing to do.”
Detectives are continuing to investigate several of these cases and are asking for information from the public. A couple of arrests have been made, but authorities encourage anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000 or text a tip using the P3 app.
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