RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC)–Richmond police are investigating another act of gun violence.
This time—a 17-year-old Richmond Public Schools student was shot while walking to the bus stop.
Police said the teen was shot along McDowell Road. Officers got the call for a shooting at around 8:19 a.m. Friday.
People living near the scene shared cell phone video with 8News taken moments after they heard gunshots.
First responders could be seen near a ditch where neighbors said the teen was lying down on the ground.
Councilman Michael Jones, who represents the ninth district, said the crime hits too close to home.
“It’s reckless. It’s frustrating. It’s senseless. No child should have to live under these types of circumstances,” he said.
Community leaders confirmed the teen is a Huguenot High School student and that the shooting was a drive-by.
He was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and is said to be in stable condition.
Community leaders also said some Huguenot High School and River City Middle School students were at the bus stop when the shooting happened.
Levar Stephens, who lives nearby, said he’s never heard of a crime like this happening in his southside neighborhood.
“When it extends to kids, that just lets you know that this particular criminal element is just getting more out of control,” he said.
Jones said the city has the Gun Violence Initiative and the Gun Buyback program, but more needs to be done.
He’s demanding a future free of gun violence.
“We have to do something with people who choose to come shoot up neighborhoods,” he said. “It wouldn’t be tolerated on Monument Avenue, so why is it going to be tolerated on McDowell? I’m here to tell you we will not tolerate it. We need some answers of what’s going to be done to ensure that every neighborhood and every neighborhood child is safe.”
Richmond school board member Jonathan Young sent a statement to 8News Friday morning saying, “I am appalled by this increasingly vile violence as am I by the inept response by political leaders in this town some of whom advocated for defunding the police and championed a catch and release public safety approach. Our students are because of it sustaining unspeakable harm.”
Jones responded to Young’s claim about political leaders advocating to defund the police by explaining the ordinance he wrote.
He said that he supported putting more funding where it’s most needed in the public safety department.
Jones added the police department, Commonwealth’s Attorney Office, city leaders and the court system must work together to keep violent offenders off the streets.