CHARLOTTESVILLE 鈥 The Fourth of July came to a horrific close for five people, including two small children and two teenagers who were bystanders to a shootout between rival gunmen in Charlottesville鈥檚 Fifeville neighborhood.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just difficult to wrap my head around, particularly because of the ages of the children,鈥 Charlottesville Police Chief Michael Kochis told The Daily Progress in a Saturday morning interview.
The victims of the shooting include a 9-year-old boy, an 11-year-old girl, a 17-year-old boy, an 18-year-old boy and a 52-year-old woman.
鈥淣one of them were the intended targets,鈥 said Kochis. 鈥淭hey were caught in the crossfire between, we believe, two groups that were shooting at each other from across the street.鈥
Officers responded at 11:23 p.m. Friday after dispatchers fielded multiple reports of gunfire near Orangedale Avenue in Fifeville, according to a Charlottesville Police Department statement indicating that patrol units arrived within two minutes but were initially hampered by heavy foot and vehicle traffic in the tightly packed residential neighborhood southwest of Downtown. Kochis said the responders had to leave their cruisers on nearby Prospect Avenue and reach the scene on foot.
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Once there, officers and medics began triaging the injured and transporting them鈥 in some cases carrying them 鈥 to locations where ambulances could reach them more easily.
Initial reports misstated some of the victims鈥 ages, but Kochis clarified the details during his interview with The Daily Progress and said the department would be issuing an updated statement later.
All of the victims survived and are currently listed in stable condition.
鈥淭hank God everyone appears to be recovering from these gunshot wounds,鈥 said Kochis, 鈥渁t least the physical injuries.鈥
Just two days before the shooting, Kochis had been seen walking through a nearby neighborhood during one of his weekly community walks 鈥 part of an ongoing effort to build trust through face-to-face conversations on front porches. The informal outreach was aimed at bridging gaps between law enforcement and residents and came on the heels of his announcement of a new gun buyback program.
鈥淲e鈥檙e working on getting guns off the street,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut then something like this happens. It鈥檚 just infuriating 鈥 this is exactly what we鈥檙e trying to prevent.鈥
The shooting, Kochis said, was also a painful reminder of the threat posed by firearms in the city.
鈥淎nytime someone is shot, it鈥檚 serious,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut this just goes to show how reckless this was. People firing guns in crowds and neighborhoods with no regard for human life. I just can鈥檛 wrap my head around it.鈥
Investigators from the police department鈥檚 criminal investigations division and its forensics unit were back in the Orangedale Avenue area Saturday searching for evidence. Kochis said officers are pursuing multiple leads, and he encouraged residents to share any surveillance video or information that could help identify the shooters.
鈥淲e鈥檙e getting calls; people are coming forward,鈥 Kochis said. 鈥淲e will identify them, and they鈥檒l get their day in court.鈥
Despite a recent downturn in the frequency of fatal shootings, Kochis said Friday鈥檚 shooting underscores the danger posed by gunfire no matter how rare.
鈥淲e talk all the time about gun violence in this city,鈥 he said. 鈥淪ometimes there are shots fired, and nobody gets hit 鈥 but it鈥檚 just a matter of time before something like this happens. This is that reminder.鈥
Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact the anonymous Crime Stoppers tip line at (434) 977-4000.
