Update, 8 a.m.: The Spotsylvania County Sheriff’s Office posted an update to its Facebook page, stating that “all suspects are in custody and there is no threat to public safety.”
Original story: At least three people are dead, and three others are wounded after a shooting in the area of Olde Greenwich Circle in Spotsylvania County Tuesday evening.
The Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office received multiple reports regarding the shooting at 5:30 p.m. Upon arrival, deputies discovered multiple victims outside. Three were confirmed dead at the scene. The three surviving victims were transported to local hospitals.
During a press conference Tuesday night around 8 p.m., Sheriff’s Office Maj. Liz Scott said that police are still actively searching the area for suspects. She also said she was not aware of a video circulating on Facebook that appears to show two males with their faces covered walking through the 500 block of Olde Greenwich Circle wielding rifles. One of the individuals appeared to be injured.
Scott said investigators have not determined a motive, whether the suspects and victims knew each other or if the shooting was random.
“It’s possible there are multiple suspects,” she said. “We’re asking the community to please send us video, Ring camera footage, anything that they may have that would help the investigation.”
The shooting took place less than a mile from both Lafayette Elementary and Walker-Grant Middle School in the City of Fredericksburg. Both schools went into lockdown around 6 p.m., and a message to FCPS families informed them that parent-teacher conferences had been canceled, along with all outdoor activities.
A follow-up message informed families that officers from the Fredericksburg Police Department were inside both school buildings to ensure security.
Scott said that there will likely be a heavy police presence around bus pickup time Wednesday morning. Fredericksburg City Public Schools will open two hours late “to allow us the necessary time to prepare our buildings and staff to welcome students with the care and support they may need during this difficult time.”
She said the sheriff’s office is in the process of notifying the victims’ next-of-kin. She said she is unsure if the victims are related.
Authorities are advising residents of Olde Greenwich and the townhomes behind Sheetz to stay indoors until an update is provided that suspects are in custody. She said she will likely provide another update Wednesday morning.
“Right now, we have an active ongoing investigation with no suspect in custody,” Scott said. “That’s why we’re asking the community to stay indoors, stay clear of the area and let our investigators do their job.”
The Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office is the primary agency handling the investigation. It is being assisted by the Fredericksburg Police Department because of the incident’s proximity to the city, and the Virginia State Police because of the volume of victims.
Scott said the county has experienced “a rough 24 hours.” On Monday, a third-grade student brought a handgun to school and inadvertently fired the weapon in class. No one was injured. His parents were arrested and charged with felony child endangerment.
“It is a tight-knit community,” Scott said. “When something like this happens, the whole community comes together, and we couldn’t ask for anything more.”
(This is a developing story. Check back for updates.)
