RICHMOND, Va., -- A Richmond mother reached out to the CBS 6 Problem Solvers for help following a teenage neighbor's murder. Tashawnda Jones is desperate for help moving out of her Richmond apartment.
Jones said her 5-year-old son, her nephew, and his mother were inside her Gilpin Court apartment when they heard gunshots Monday afternoon.
“I’m like, ‘Get down, everybody get down!’” Jones recalled. “We ducked down and a bullet pierced through my screen door, through my front door, flies past me and my son as we are trying to get down on the floor.”
The bullet hit the living room wall and landed on the floor.
“We almost nearly experienced death within inches away,” Jones said. “We could’ve lost our lives.”
Richmond Police said they located 18-year-old Katrez T. Bryant wounded on the second floor landing of the apartment building in the 200 block of West Charity Street.
“He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries at 6:21 p.m." a Richmond Police spokesperson said. "Shortly after the shooting, another victim, a juvenile male, arrived by personal vehicle at a local hospital. He suffered life-threatening gunshot injuries."
Jones said her son is now afraid to live in the apartment.
“It’s just hard to stay sane and stay focused,” she said. “It’s urgent to get us out of this house.”
Jones said Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) officials scheduled a meeting with her on Friday afternoon after the CBS 6 Problem Solvers got involved.
RRHA said in a statement:
“Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority (RRHA) works diligently with the families in our community to ensure that they are living in a safe and secure environment. Generally speaking, this may include the relocation of families who witnessed or were threatened with violent crime. However, due to privacy concerns, it is the policy of RRHA not to speak on record about any individual family – even if the family member(s) chooses to do so, themselves. We also do not offer comments concerning situations and events that are under investigation by local, state or federal authorities. Any arrangements or accommodations discussed and made are done directly with the impacted family and are not discussed by RRHA with outside entities.”
The fatal shooting in the Gilpin Court housing community was one of two deadly shootings in Richmondon Monday. Police are still investigating both crimes and no arrests have been made.
Anyone with information was asked to call Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.
