Two people were killed and seven others were wounded when a street fight in Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom entertainment district escalated into a burst of gunfire early Saturday, police said, leaving investigators to sort through more than 50 shell casings and search for at least two shooters.
The shooting unfolded in a nightlife area packed with late-night crowds and lined with bars and restaurants, turning a block of North 18th Street into a crime scene as patrol cars sealed off the street and detectives collected evidence, police said. Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards said the violence began as a verbal argument that became a physical fight, then escalated quickly when guns appeared. Mayor Danny Avula, standing alongside Edwards at a news conference later Saturday, called the shooting “absolutely heartbreaking” and said the city did not accept the level of violence that hit the district in the early-morning hours.
Officers were dispatched just before 3 a.m. after multiple calls reported shots fired near the intersection of 18th and Main streets, police said. Edwards said the gunfire erupted around 2:47 a.m. in the 000 block of North 18th Street, where an officer nearby noticed a large commotion and saw cars speeding away. When the first officers reached the street, they found an adult woman suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, police said, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. Minutes later, officers located an adult man down and unresponsive with apparent gunshot wounds, police said, and he also died at the scene. “It seemed like a fight started, individuals intervened in that fight, and shots were fired,” Edwards said during the Saturday briefing.
Police identified the dead as 23-year-old Genesis Tamar Jones of Petersburg and 42-year-old Dominic Antoine Jackson of Henrico County. Edwards said nine people were shot in total. Four women and three men were taken to hospitals with gunshot wounds, and three other injured people got to hospitals on their own, police said. Authorities did not immediately release the names of the wounded or provide detailed updates on their conditions, saying several remained hospitalized as of Sunday. The gunfire did not begin inside a bar or club, police said, and investigators were focused on what happened in the street as groups confronted one another and the situation spiraled across part of the block.
Detectives and crime scene technicians spent hours on the roadway collecting evidence, including shell casings scattered across the pavement, police said. Edwards said more than 50 shell casings were recovered. Investigators also recovered multiple firearms and towed six vehicles from the area, he said, steps meant to preserve evidence and help determine who fired which shots. Police said they believe at least two shooters were involved and suggested that more than one person may have fired as the fight escalated. Authorities have not said how many people were involved in the initial argument, whether anyone knew one another, or what exactly sparked the confrontation. They also have not announced any arrests as of Sunday, saying the investigation remained active and that detectives were still working to identify the shooters.
Relatives and witnesses described a crowded weekend scene that turned chaotic within seconds. Jones’ family said she had come to Shockoe Bottom to celebrate her brother’s birthday and was not part of the dispute that led to gunfire. Her older brother, Zekiah Jones, told local media he was nearby when he heard what sounded like 10 to 15 shots. He said he did not immediately realize a loved one had been hit amid the panic and the rush of people trying to get away. “I came out here to celebrate my brother’s 25th birthday,” he said, describing a night that ended with his family trying to understand how she was struck. He said police told him she was not involved in the fight, and he remembered her as someone who wanted people to get along.
Shockoe Bottom sits just east of downtown Richmond and draws heavy weekend traffic as patrons move between clubs, restaurants and parking areas late into the night. The district’s narrow streets, clusters of parked cars and steady flow of rideshare pickups can compress crowds into tight spaces, leaving little room for people to scatter when danger breaks out. Police said the shooting happened on the street rather than in a venue, and officials emphasized that a confrontation that might have ended with bruises instead became deadly once firearms were pulled out. Edwards said the presence of guns turned a fight into a shooting scene that left victims in different locations and forced officers to quickly determine whether the shooters were still nearby. The officer who initially noticed the commotion saw cars speeding away, police said, an early sign that people were fleeing gunfire rather than an ordinary dispute.
In the hours after the shooting, the intersection and the block around North 18th Street were taped off as investigators photographed the scene, marked evidence and interviewed people who had been in the area, officials said. Videos shared on social media and in local broadcasts showed flashing police lights reflecting off building fronts and a large presence of officers in the street as detectives canvassed for witnesses. Investigators said they were reviewing dispatch records and collecting surveillance footage from nearby businesses and any available street cameras. Police urged people who were in the area to share cellphone videos or vehicle camera footage that might show the moments before, during or after the shooting. Officials said tips could be directed to Detective J. DeBoard at 804-646-6795 or to Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.
Avula said the city would support the police investigation and the families affected by the shooting. “Our hearts cry out for the families of the victims,” he said at the news conference, calling the violence unacceptable. Police, meanwhile, cautioned that early information can be incomplete in a case with multiple shooters, many witnesses and a fast-moving scene. Investigators must match shell casings to firearms, compare witness accounts that may conflict, and determine the sequence of events in a crowded area where people were yelling, running and trying to get to safety. Authorities have not publicly said whether the recovered firearms are tied to suspects or whether any suspects were among the injured. Police also have not described any shooters or indicated whether they believe the people responsible live in Richmond or traveled into the city that night.
The volume of evidence collected Saturday underscored the complexity detectives face. More than 50 shell casings can indicate multiple firearms, extended firing, or both, and the towing of six vehicles suggests investigators were trying to preserve potential ballistic strikes, blood evidence, fingerprints, or surveillance angles captured by in-car cameras. Edwards said major crimes detectives were handling the case, and police said they would continue canvassing the area and comparing witness statements with physical evidence. Officials have not said whether the shooters used handguns or other firearms, nor have they disclosed the calibers involved. They also have not said whether any security personnel were present in the area or whether any private cameras clearly captured faces or license plates.
As the investigation continued Sunday, the deaths of Jones and Jackson left two families planning funerals while others waited for updates on loved ones who were wounded. Police have not released details about Jackson beyond his identity and county of residence. Jones’ relatives described her as someone who showed up for family celebrations and tried to keep the peace, a picture that added to the grief surrounding a death police said was not connected to the initial dispute. The shooting also renewed scrutiny of how quickly street fights can escalate in crowded nightlife districts, where minor confrontations can draw bystanders and where the presence of guns can turn a brief fight into a wide, unpredictable spray of bullets. Edwards said investigators believed more than one shooter fired as the situation spiraled, a detail that can complicate decisions about charges if multiple people claim self-defense or if shooters were firing at one another in a crowd.
Police said the case remained open Sunday night, with detectives continuing to interview witnesses and review available video as they worked to identify suspects and determine who fired the shots that killed Jones and Jackson. Officials said they planned to provide additional updates once more details could be confirmed, including whether suspects had been identified and whether charges would follow.
Author note: Last updated February 22, 2026.