Neighbors said weekend crowds and recurring violence have changed the feel of the district.
RICHMOND, Va. — Residents and city leaders in Richmond responded Saturday after a mass shooting in Shockoe Bottom left two people dead and seven others injured, renewing concerns about late-night violence in the entertainment district and pushing officials to speed up new safety efforts.
The shooting struck a historic neighborhood known for restaurants, clubs, and weekend crowds, and it raised urgent questions about how to prevent street disputes from turning into gunfire when venues close. Police said the incident happened after a fight and involved multiple shooters, while neighbors said they have watched similar scenes play out before. Mayor Danny Avula said the city would accelerate prevention plans that were not in place in time for this weekend.
Police said nine adults were shot in the early hours of Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, as crowds were still in the area after bars closed. The gunfire erupted around 2:45 a.m. on North 18th Street, authorities said, and officers arriving first found a woman dead at the scene. Police said they later found an adult man down and unresponsive, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police Chief Rick Edwards identified the victims as 23-year-old Genesis Tamar Jones and 42-year-old Dominic Antoine Jackson.
Seven others were treated for gunshot wounds, police said. Four injured adults were taken to a hospital by emergency responders, and three others arrived at hospitals on their own. Police said one injured woman was in life-threatening condition, while four men and two women had injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Edwards said the department believed at least two shooters fired during the disturbance, and he described the confrontation as a street fight that pulled in people who were armed.
Neighbors said the tragedy did not feel isolated. Brody Layne, who lives a few blocks from where the shots were reported, said violence has flared in the area more than once. “This is not the first time even on this street in front of that exact same club that we’ve had a similar incident,” Layne said in an interview. He questioned how much weekend street closures and visible police patrols can accomplish when fights still break out as crowds spill into the streets.
Another resident, Andrea Daughtry, said repeated incidents have affected the neighborhood’s energy. She said some people now expect trouble as the night winds down, and she argued that normalizing the violence has hurt the district’s sense of vibrancy. Daughtry said she wanted approaches that involve the people who live and work in the area, not only enforcement at closing time. “I think the solution is also getting in touch with the community to understand what’s going on,” she said.
City officials pointed to recent steps, but they also acknowledged gaps. Police said they increased patrols in Shockoe Bottom in September 2025 after repeated issues in the district. The neighborhood draws large weekend crowds, and police have used surges and targeted operations during busy seasons, focusing on visible patrols and quick response. Still, Saturday’s shooting showed how quickly a street argument can spread when multiple people are armed and tensions rise in a dense crowd.
Avula said the city would move faster on new gun-violence prevention initiatives that were already being planned. One idea he highlighted was the addition of “community ambassadors,” people who would be deployed in areas such as Shockoe Bottom as businesses close for the night. Avula said the goal is for those workers to be a visible resource during the highest-risk hours and to help de-escalate conflicts as crowds leave clubs and restaurants.
“When everyone’s out and enjoying themselves they would come out and there would be community ambassadors who would be roaming the streets, who would be a resource and as clubs are closing down would actually shepherd people home,” Avula said. He said some strategies the city had been working on were not rolled out soon enough and promised that programs would be accelerated heading into the spring, a season when warmer weather often brings larger outdoor crowds.
Police described an investigation built on physical evidence and video. Edwards said the gunfire did not start inside a bar or club, and he said the department believed two groups began fighting on the street. He said investigators recovered more than 50 cartridge casings and collected firearms, including two guns recovered early in the case, while indicating police believed additional weapons were involved. Authorities towed six vehicles for evidence, and detectives began reviewing surveillance footage and seeking cell phone video recorded by people who were nearby.
For one family, the weekend outing turned into loss. Zekiah Jones, Genesis Jones’ older brother, said the family came to Shockoe Bottom to celebrate a 25th birthday. He said he was at Margarita’s Cantina when he heard rapid gunfire and later learned his sister had been shot. “She was just a life of a party,” he said, describing her as someone his family planned to keep remembering. Police said they were working to determine who fired and whether the shooters were part of the original argument or joined the fight as it grew.
As detectives worked through the case, police asked anyone with information or video to come forward. They said tips could be directed to Major Crimes Detective J. DeBoard at 804-646-6795 or to Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000. By Saturday night, police had not announced arrests, and officials said the next updates would depend on video review, witness interviews, and ballistics work that could clarify how many guns were used and who fired the fatal shots.
Author note: Last updated February 22, 2026.