5 in hospital after drive-by shooting in Richmond's east end; teen pleas for help

Van with broken window (Source: NBC12)
Van with broken window (Source: NBC12)

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) - Five people are in the hospital after they were hit in a drive-by shooting in Richmond's east end early Wednesday morning.

Police were called to the 2300 block of Bethel Street in Whitcomb Court around 2:30 a.m. When they arrived on the scene, they found five people - three males and two females - all with gun shot wounds. Two of the victims are juveniles. They were transported to VCU Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

The victims, who were at different homes along the street, say they were just sitting outside on their porches when someone in a dark-colored Jeep SUV came driving down the road and started shooting. The vehicle then drove away from the scene.

Witnesses say one of the victims, a teenage girl, was shot in the leg.

"She was crying and got shot in the leg. She kept saying, 'It hurt. It hurt. It hurt. I can't feel nothing,' " said a neighbor at the scene, who asked to remain anonymous.

A family friend said the girl is recovering well.

A nearby van on the street could be seen with a driver's side window shattered.

"Everybody hit the ground. People heard people yelling and running," said one woman, who asked not to be identified.

Just four days ago, a man was shot in Whitcomb Court a block over from the scene of Wednesday's drive-by. He had life-threatening injuries.

This year, crime has intensified in Richmond's public housing neighborhoods, including a double shooting, leaving two teenagers dead in Mosby Court. Another deadly shooting took the life of Virginia State Police Special Agent Michael Walter.

Richmond police are currently installing a shot detection system around the city, letting officers know in real time where and when gunfire breaks out.

Now police are looking for that dark-colored SUV that could be a Jeep. If you have any information that can help police, call Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.

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