RIchmond, Va. (NewsradioWRVA.com) - It's been top of mind lately and when RIchmond Police Chief Gerald Smith presented third quarter crime statistics in the city, he says that both fatal and non-fatal shootings of juveniles have decreased year-to-date as compared to 2021 stats. However, Smith says that doesn't tell the story of the concern that there is.
Smith says that parents need to play a major role in the lives of their children. He says even if that means getting on your kid's social media pages to see what they're posting and how they're relating to others. He also says that parents need to know their kid's friends because that can be how a child is influenced. He says while it may seem like good news that the numbers are down from last year, it's still too much to have one child affected by gun violence.
He says in recent cases where kids were shot and an arrest hasn't been made yet, including the case of the high school student who was shot on his way to a bus stop, progress has been made in the case. Smith, without giving too much information, says those shooting incidents were not random and the victims were most likely targeted.
Smith did not answer any questions during the crime briefing related to the alleged July 4th mass shooting plot.
