Police said officers were responding to a shooting call when gunfire continued inside the building.
RICHMOND, VA — A Richmond police officer shot and killed a woman Thursday evening at the Belt Atlantic Apartments in South Richmond after officers responded to a report of a shooting in progress, Police Chief Rick Edwards said.
The shooting happened just after 6:45 p.m. May 7 at the apartment complex in the 4000 block of Midlothian Turnpike. Police said officers arrived, heard more gunfire and were directed by people at the scene toward an upstairs area. The woman died at the scene. No other victims were found.
Edwards said officers were called at 6:47 p.m. for a shooting in progress. When they reached the complex, bystanders pointed them upstairs. As officers climbed a stairwell, they heard four more gunshots, Edwards said. One officer then confronted an adult woman and fired his weapon. “This is a tragic day,” Edwards said during a Thursday night briefing. “A person lost their lives and an officer had to do something that none of us joined this police department to do, which is take another person’s life.”
Police said they recovered a gun they believe had been fired by the woman. Edwards said officers cleared the apartment and did not find anyone else inside. He also said police had not learned of anyone arriving at local hospitals with gunshot wounds tied to the incident. The woman’s name had not been released as of Friday. Officials also had not released the officer’s name, the number of officers who entered the building or the exact distance between the officer and the woman when the shot was fired.
Richmond police chaplain Rev. Dr. Gwendolyn Andrews also spoke at the scene and said the woman was a mother of two. Police said the children were not home when the shooting happened. Andrews said emotions were high because family members and friends were affected. “There are kids involved, there are friends involved,” Andrews said. Police did not confirm what led to the earlier gunfire report or whether the woman was alone before officers arrived.
The officer who fired has been placed on paid administrative leave while the case is investigated, police said. Edwards said investigators are reviewing witness statements, camera footage and body camera video. Under Richmond police policy for fatal officer-involved shootings, body camera footage is expected to be released within two weeks. The Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office will review the case to decide whether the officer violated the law. If no criminal wrongdoing is found, police said an internal review would examine whether department policies were followed.
The shooting was the second officer-involved shooting in Richmond this year, Edwards said. Both happened in the city’s 2nd Precinct. The Belt Atlantic complex sits along Midlothian Turnpike in South Richmond, a busy corridor with apartments, businesses and major traffic routes nearby. Thursday night’s response drew police, investigators and department chaplains to the scene as residents watched from around the property and officers worked to secure the building.
Police had not announced charges or a full timeline beyond the initial call, the stairwell encounter and the fatal shooting. The next major step is the release of body camera footage, expected by late May. Investigators also are continuing to review video, interview witnesses and document the scene.
Author note: Last updated May 8, 2026.