HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- People outside of a busy Henrico shopping center experienced some terrifying moments on Tuesday afternoon during a drive-by shooting.
Gunfire erupted during broad daylight as cars flew by on Mechanicsville Turnpike near shoppers at the Glen Lea Shopping Center.
People working nearby said it was luck that the incident didn't end in a tragedy.
"One of my coworkers saw the police cars and saw they had it taped off," said Dwight Barrett, who works nearby.
Barrett and a few of his colleagues had a front-row seat to the violence that played out.
"It’s always a concern when young people are in and out of place,” said Barrett. “Things happened so quickly, and luckily no one was injured, but there could've been a life taken and we always have to be concerned about that."
Forensic officers recovered shell casings in front of a dentist's office where police say a man and a woman were seen arguing.
"Just after 3 p.m., Henrico Police received multiple calls that shots were being fired in the area of Mechanicsville Turnpike near Laburnum," said Lieutenant Matthew Pecka.
When police got to the scene, the shooter was gone. However, a description given over the radio helped nearby officers spot a matching car getting onto Interstate 295.
"Officers were able to locate the vehicles in question," Pecka said. "At first, they traveled 295 south, then turned 295 north where emergency lights were activated and they were stopped near 301."
Police detained at least two people and are now in the early stages of the investigation.
"You step out of a store and a bullet comes your way,” said Barrett. “It's sad. People leave home in the morning and say, ‘see you later on,’ and sometimes later on never comes."
Crime Insider sources said that a car in the parking lot was hit by a bullet.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at (804) 780-1000.
