Shooter fires repeatedly into Jackson Ward party | News

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT)- Richmond police are looking for the shooter who opened fire at a party full of young people in Jackson Ward, Saturday night. Three victims were rushed to the hospital.

The 19-year-old who threw the party at the home on the 500 block of North Henry Street says the suspect fired from across the road. The young man requested that his identity be concealed, as the shooter is still at large. The host says dozens of college-aged kids were outside the house, as a fight broke out in the street, at about 1:30 a.m.

"The majority of the party, if not the whole party (was outside on the sidewalk)," said the host. "I feel like I'm blessed because I'm still here."

Police say the unknown suspect crashed the party and tried to steal a stereo. Investigators say after he was kicked out, he returned with a gun less than an hour later.

The host of the party says it was a different guy who was the unwelcome guest. He says while that party crasher and another guest began an altercation in the street, the gunman appeared in the alley way across from the home. The host says he was wearing a mask, and unloaded his gun into a crowd of nearly 50 kids. "(The shooter) didn't have a particular victim. He was just shooting in the crowd...everybody was frightened, so everybody ran," added the host.

Neighbors, like Derrell Stancell, rushed to see the commotion after they heard the bullets. "(The shooting) was so blatantly loud, like it was in my backyard…All I saw was kids running, trying to get out of the area," said Stancell, who has lived in the area for ten years.

The three victims, ages 17, 19, and 20, took bullets in the arm, leg and back. All survived, but the terror in the neighborhood lingers. Stancell says the area sometimes has loud parties, but nothing that he could remember as ever escalating to this level of violence.

"I want to thank God for everybody having a chance to recover," said the host.

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