A 61-year-old Charlotte-area doctor is behind bars in Virginia after troopers say he opened fire on a Jeep carrying two sisters, ages 12 and 20, during a road rage encounter on Interstate 77 that left both of them wounded. Richard T. Ariviello was taken into custody following the shooting, which happened along northbound I-77 in Carroll County on Saturday morning.
Virginia State Police said the shooting occurred around 8:50 a.m. on northbound Interstate 77, according to WBTV. The two sisters suffered injuries described by Patriot Publishing LLC as gunshot wounds to the leg, and law enforcement reported the pair were airlifted to a hospital in North Carolina for emergency treatment. WBTV, citing WDBJ7, reported the sisters suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment — a detail that appears to differ from the account of an out-of-state medical flight, and both versions are presented here since the dossier does not resolve the discrepancy.
Chase Ended Near Rural Virginia Exit
Troopers say Ariviello fled the shooting scene in his Mercedes-Benz before law enforcement caught up with him. The pursuit began near mile marker 3 and ended when troopers stopped his car near Exit 19, which connects to Coulson Church Road near Hillsville in Carroll County, according to WSLS 10. That exit serves a rural stretch of the county near the Twin County Airport, per the station's report.
Police say Ariviello fired gunshots at the moving Jeep following the road rage incident, and he was arrested after allegedly firing shots into the vehicle carrying the two sisters. The driver of the Jeep was also charged in connection with the incident, cited for reckless driving, though police have not confirmed the driver's identity and have not shared what specifically led to the confrontation between the two vehicles.
Doctor Faces Four Felony Charges
Ariviello now faces four felony counts: use of a firearm while committing a felony, malicious shooting into an occupied vehicle, shooting from a vehicle, and maliciously causing bodily harm with intent to maim. He is being held at New River Valley Regional Jail as the investigation continues.
The charges carry significant prison exposure under Virginia law. Maliciously shooting into an occupied vehicle is a Class 4 felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000, according to Virginia Law. The malicious wounding charge, which requires prosecutors to prove intent to maim or disfigure, is a Class 3 felony carrying a potential sentence of five to 20 years. Separately, intentionally discharging a firearm from a vehicle in a way that creates a risk of injury or death is a Class 5 felony punishable by up to 10 years, per Humbrecht Law. On top of any sentence for the underlying felonies, Virginia Code mandates a three-year minimum sentence for using a firearm in a violent felony, which must be served consecutively and cannot be suspended by a judge.
Charlotte-Area Medical Clinic and License at Stake
Ariviello owns Family Urgent Care, which serves the Monroe, Indian Trail and Ballantyne areas of the Charlotte metro, with the clinic located on Wesley Chapel Stouts Road in Monroe, North Carolina. Better Business Bureau records show he serves as Medical Director there and holds North Carolina Medical Licensing Board License No. 2010-00350. He is described as a licensed physician per the North Carolina Medical Board.
A felony conviction would carry consequences beyond the courtroom. Under North Carolina General Statutes § 90-14, a felony conviction triggers automatic revocation of a physician's license by the North Carolina Medical Board unless the doctor requests a hearing within 60 days, according to the North Carolina General Assembly. It remains unknown whether Ariviello was legally carrying the firearm while traveling across state lines, and investigators have not disclosed what triggered the confrontation between the two vehicles.
Part of a Broader Surge in Highway Shootings
The Carroll County shooting fits into a documented rise in roadway gun violence nationwide. Data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive and analyzed by Axios Richmond found that road rage shooting incidents in the United States increased 450% between 2014 and 2023, rising from 83 incidents to 456 nationally, a trend the outlet says mirrors a surge in aggressive driving violence in Virginia specifically. In response, Virginia State Police issued public safety recommendations last October advising motorists caught in aggressive driving encounters to dial #77 on their cell phones and avoid engaging or challenging aggressive drivers.
The investigation into Saturday's shooting remains ongoing, and no additional details about the dispute that preceded the gunfire had been released as of this report.
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