A shooting in the parking lot of Chippenham Hospital in Richmond left one person with life-threatening injuries Friday night, and another person was detained by police in connection with the incident. The shooting followed an altercation and happened around 8:40 p.m.
According to WTVR, the timeline of the shooting was reported by Virginia Statewide Incidents, which said it occurred at 8:40 p.m. following an altercation. The shooting remains under investigation.
A Hospital With a History of Gunfire
Friday's shooting is not the first time gunfire has erupted on Chippenham Hospital's campus. A previous shooting at the hospital's Tucker's Pavilion mental health facility occurred around 4:15 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 22, 2023, according to a separate report from WRIC. In that case, the suspect was charged with attempted murder and using a firearm in the commission of a felony, per the same report.
That earlier shooting left a patient with life-threatening injuries. A WTVR report on the incident said a round of bullets hit a patient, while a Chesterfield police officer who was on duty for a temporary detention order at Tucker's Pavilion heard gunfire and intervened; the officer’s boot was struck, possibly by a bullet or ricochet, but the officer was not injured.
Security Changes Introduced After Prior Shooting
In the aftermath of that earlier shooting, Chippenham Hospital introduced mobile security patrols in its parking areas along with metal-detector wand checks at Emergency Department entrances. HCA, which operates the hospital, said at the time that security officers would be on-site 24 hours a day, seven days a week while the hospital explored additional safety options.
No further details have been released about the identities or conditions of those involved in Friday's shooting, and investigators have not released additional information about what led to the altercation. Richmond police have not issued a statement beyond what Virginia Statewide Incidents reported, and the case remains under investigation.
