VSP: Three shootings along 7-mile stretch of I-95 in a little more than a month
CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WWBT) - Virginia State Police is investigating its third shooting along a seven-mile stretch of Interstate 95 in a little more than a month; it left two men with serious injuries.
“Anytime we have our citizens in Virginia becoming injured it is certainly a concern for law enforcement,” said VSP Sergeant Dylan Davenport.
Tuesday’s shooting on I-95 north about half a mile from Temple Avenue left two men hospitalized.
Davenport said the men were driving north when they were shot at multiple times just before 8 p.m. by someone in another vehicle around mile marker 55.
“Their vehicle was fired upon by another vehicle in the left lane,” Davenport said.
Thankfully, the victim driving the SUV was able to pull over on the side of the road for help.
“The driver suffered life-threatening injuries, the passenger received serious injuries,” Davenport said. “I’m not certain on their release but we are expecting that they will survive their injuries; we’re hoping for that.”
However, this shooting is certainly not the first in the area.
On March 11, state police were called for a shooting just after 8 p.m. on I-95 south at mile marker 60.
There, the driver of a pickup truck said someone in a dark-colored sedan with tinted windows shot at them. Thankfully, none of the three people inside were hit by the gunfire.
“We are aggressively investigating these incidents,” Davenport said. “We’ve had them in the past and we have made arrests in some of them and we’re still working to gather information and to continue to make arrests wherever possible.”
One of those arrests came from the late-night shooting on February 25 near mile marker 62. State police found a 29-year-old woman with multiple gunshot wounds.
Darius Smith was arrested in connection to this shooting. Police said there was no indication Smith and the victim knew each other.
Meanwhile, Davenport said VSP is looking at all aspects to try and curb this violence.
“That includes situational awareness, patrols; we’re looking at everything,” Davenport said.
Anyone with information about these shootings is encouraged to call the Virginia State Police at (804) 609-5656 or email us at questions@vsp.virginia.gov
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