RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Two men are dead after two separate Richmond-area shootings which took place just a few days apart.
At around 3:44 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 24, officers responded to the intersection of West South Boulevard and Wakefield Street in Petersburg for a report of a person down. At the scene, the officers found 19-year-old Matthew Gibbs, who had a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Gibbs was a second-semester freshman at Virginia State University in Chesterfield studying mass communications. On Friday, Aug. 25, officers arrested a juvenile suspect, who was charged with second-degree murder in connection to Gibbs’ death.
The university released a statement in the wake of Gibbs’ death, saying “the loss of this member of our community saddens us deeply. We stand in solidarity at this most sad a difficult time and ask everyone in our community to support each other.”
Days later, on Sunday, Aug. 27 at around 5 a.m., officers were called to the 200 block of West Baker Street near Gilpin Court in Richmond for a report of a person shot. When they got there, the officers found a man lying in the street with a gunshot wound.
The victim, who has not yet been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Anyone with information related to either of these shooting is asked to contact police.