Police tie shooting to salon dispute, not midterm elections
A woman was shot Thursday afternoon directly in front of the building that houses the Republican Party of Virginia’s offices in Richmond, and police said the shooting had nothing to do with the upcoming midterm elections. Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards said the woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital, where she is expected to survive.
The Republican Party of Virginia said in a statement posted online that the woman was shot around 1:45 p.m. directly in front of the building. Edwards said authorities believe the woman, who “just happened to be on the block,” was an innocent bystander.
A woman inside a hair salon across the street, who remains in custody, told police that a man with whom she had an ongoing dispute had come into the shop and that she fired shots in self-defense, Edwards said.
Police believe the man who was inside the business may also have been shot, based on blood found at the scene. Edwards urged the man to turn himself in to receive care and speak with detectives.
Frank Loehr, chief financial officer for the Republican Party of Virginia, told reporters that he and other staffers were working inside the office when shots rang out outside. The wounded woman had been speaking with two people who had a booth outside the building and was brought inside the office bleeding after being shot, he said. The booth was not affiliated with the party.
Loehr said the woman was conscious and moaning in pain, and it appeared she had been struck in the shoulder. First responders arrived quickly and took her away.
“I was shook up, and I’m still a little shook up,” Loehr said.