Man, 21, is 4th Richmond homicide victim in 2 weeks

A 21-year-old man walked out of a convenience store late Thursday night in Richmond and was shot to death, authorities said, marking the city’s fourth homicide in less than two weeks.

Police responded to a ShotSpotter alert at 11:30 p.m. in the Stop & Shop Market & Deli parking lot at 800 Carlson Blvd., said Lt. Felix Tan, a spokesman for the Richmond Police Department.

Officers reportedly arrived to find the Pittsburg man with multiple gunshot wounds to the torso, as well as an Oakland resident who was struck by gunfire. The man from Pittsburg, who was not identified, died from his injuries, while the person from Oakland was treated at a local hospital and released, Tan said.

A preliminary investigation by Richmond’s Homicide Unit found that the suspect fled the scene of the shooting by running northbound on Carlson Boulevard.

Police do not have any suspect information at this time and no one has been taken into custody, Tan said.

The first three months of 2018 were relatively peaceful in Richmond, which until April 7 hadn’t had a homicide in nearly five months. But in the past two weeks, four men have been shot to death in Richmond, and one suspect is wanted on a $1 million warrant.

Following the first two killings, Richmond Mayor Tom Butt issued a statement noting the startling uptick in violence.

“After months of relative peace, this resurgence of gun violence has parts of Richmond on edge,” he said. “We cannot afford to be complacent.”