A violent street fight in Richmond’s Shockoe Bottom escalated into a mass shooting early Saturday morning, killing two people including an innocent bystander celebrating a birthday and wounding seven others.
A mass shooting in Richmond’s historic Shockoe Bottom entertainment district left two people dead and seven others wounded in the early hours of Saturday, February 21, 2026. Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards reported that the violence erupted around 2:47 a.m. near North 18th Street following an outdoor street fight between two groups that escalated when multiple individuals drew firearms. Officers on patrol arrived to find a chaotic scene where at least two shooters had discharged more than 50 rounds, fatally striking 23-year-old Genesis Jones of Petersburg and 42-year-old Dominic Antoine Jackson of Henrico County. Family members indicated that Jones, a graduate of Virginia State University, was an innocent bystander walking with her family during a birthday celebration when the crossfire began. Chief Edwards emphasized that the incident did not originate inside a venue, stating, “I can confirm that this did not originate in a club. All the bars were closed at 2 a.m… This was people hanging out on the streets.” Of the seven survivors, one remains in life-threatening condition, while Richmond officials and the ATF continue to process a sprawling multi-block crime scene for ballistics evidence.