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Double homicide on 35th Street
From Sector 111’s Lt.Sayles:
The Richmond Police Department is investigating two homicides that occurred in the East End.
At approximately 11:09 p.m. last night, officers were called to the 700 block of North 35th Street for the report of random gunfire. Officers arrived and found a female and a male in an alley behind a row of homes suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
The female was dead at the scene. The male was transported to a local hospital but died shortly after arrival.
The Medical Examiner will determine cause and manner of death.
Major Crimes detectives canvassed the neighborhood in the area of North 35th and M streets for information and Forensics detectives collected evidence from the scene. The investigation continues.
Detectives are actively working leads in the case, and encourage anyone with information on this incident to call Major Crimes Detective Ed Aeschlimann at (804) 646-3351 or (804) 839-0959 or Crime Stoppers at 780-1000. Citizens can also text Crime Stoppers at 274637, using the key word “ITip” followed by your tip. Both Crime Stoppers methods are anonymous.
These are the 7th and 8th killings in the East End this year.
A double homicide?
This works me up a hell of a lot more than a busted window, a stolen stroller, or abandoned shoes.
I think everyone would feel a lot better (or maybe a lot worse?) if we knew why this happened/what the motive was.
This is so awful, not to mention scary!
Sending good thoughts and hugs to those involved and also to the neighbors who live in that immediate area.
It would be nice to know how / why this happened and whether or not it was random or domestic.
This is way too close for comfort and exactly why we call the police every time we hear gun fire or see any sketchy people. People need to chill the hell out in Church Hill. I’m not entirely surprised due to the block the situation happened on.. but 2 blocks away are a lot of young families.
Also – neighbors who complain about our barking dogs.. this is exactly why they’re outside and allowed to bark at people going through the alley or too close to our homes. You’re welcome.
Get your shit together Church Hill.
Wasn’t here a homicide somewhat recently (2 or 3 years ago) in that very block?
Close, 1 block off:
/2011/12/24/shooting-on-35th-street_20633/
The Richmond Police Department has identified the two victims in the North 35th Street homicide investigation.
At approximately 11:09 p.m. last night, officers were called to the 700 block of North 35th Street for the report of random gunfire. Officers arrived and found a female and a male in an alley behind a row of homes suffering from apparent gunshot wounds.
The female, Rashamella L. Willingham, 26, of the 700 block of North 35th Street, was dead at the scene. The male, William S. White, 31, of the 1600 block of North 27th Street, was transported to a local hospital but died shortly after arrival.
The Medical Examiner will determine cause and manner of death.
Detectives are actively working leads in the case, and encourage anyone with information on this incident to call Major Crimes Detective Ed Aeschlimann at (804) 646-3351 or (804) 839-0959 or Crime Stoppers at 780-1000. Citizens can also text Crime Stoppers at 274637, using the key word “ITip” followed by your tip. Both Crime Stoppers methods are anonymous.
@#8 there are families on this block too. she was a part of a family. 2 blocks away, whatever
@Jereme Can you not understand the ignorance and judgment in your comments?? From comment #8: “I’m not entirely surprised due to the block the situation happened on.. but 2 blocks away are a lot of young families.” The woman that was shot and killed was part of a young family. According to the news report she left behind a 5 year old son. My thoughts are with her family and the family of the man who later died.
Why is the area where this tragedy took place being referred to as Church Hill? The 700 block of Chimbo is in Oakwood– not Church Hill. Boundaries seem pointless when considering the magnitude of this situation but it’s important (for a host of reasons) not to improperly tie Church Hill to crimes such as this. The good people of Church Hill have worked long and hard to eradicate this type of behavior. Perceptions…
@Jamie you’re right, it’s pointless. And when you say “good people of Church Hill”, what are you referring to? There are good and bad people in every neighborhood in Richmond. Church Hill has plenty of neighbors who are rude and inconsiderate and don’t really care for their neighbors like they could. Would love to know what your other “reasons” are that tying the crime to Church Hill could be bad. Sounds like a tinge of racism to me.
@Jamie – Two people have been murdered, and your concern is identifying the boundary lines of your neighborhood?
@23 – My (likely inaccurate) understanding is that Church Hill is both a neighborhood and a geographic feature (literally, a hill). We are all on the Hill together, whether we are in Church Hill Proper, Church Hill North, Chimborazo, or Oakwood. My understanding of the geographic and neighborhood boundaries may not be perfect, but at the end of the day these places are contiguous and the people who were killed Sunday night were your neighbors.
@Lee
The last bit of your last sentence is EXACTLY the point. Should have just said that myself…these are our neighbors, real people who we probably have interacted with, and they were murdered. Whether they qualified as “good people” in your mind doesn’t matter. They’re human beings who are either our age or (for some of my fellow readers, and probably Jamie) much younger. Their lives were taken from them, they are part of us. I own these two as my neighbors and mourn that their lives were taken from them.
Have heard that there is going to be a vigil for Rashamella Willingham tonight at 6PM in front of 702 North 35th Street.
@Liv Glave’ – the gunshots near 26th were on Saturday night. This double homicide was Sunday night. My friend called the cops on Saturday and the officer that responded told us that there were 6 units dispatched over several blocks to investigate, but we never found out what happened, either.
kathleen, mary and lee, i agree. i do not like the idea of the boundries, or 2 blocks away, or good people especially when some of the people who think this suggest looking out for your neighbor. slightly contradictory. also about the concern about not attaching this incident to church hill…if i’m not mistaken i have seen the church hill neighborhood association annex more and more of church hill as it gets “better” throughout the years. it also looks like a fine example of jerrymandering the way the group claims chimborazo park in “their” neighborhood.
@18 “good comeback”? this is not a competition. this is a neighborhood. my neighbors are grieving at the moment as am i. and a wonderful child is heart broken in a way many will never comprehend. let’s stop worrying about property values for a moment and how about a moment of silence instead. we are all in this together neighbors.
peace
Mosby, whitcomb, fairfield, creighton oakwood chimbo union hill are all in church hill only people that are not from here think other wise
Actually, I just heard it’s going to be at Bill Robinson Playground. Sorry about the mix up. Still at 6 pm tonight.
i am inclined to agree with you n/a
I don’t comment often, but it’s absolutely imperative that everyone on here know the reality of this tragedy. The woman that was killed was a loving mother of a 5 year old boy that didn’t deserve to have his mother taken from him. Whether she was in Church Hill, Oakwood, or wherever geographically, it’s not pertinent. What is pertinent is that people living in this area deserve to live in peace and safety. Human beings deserve respect, and a lot of these comments are insensitive.
buaetiful unifying peace seeking vigil that ts still going on. wonderful that people came out. hundreds. it was nice to see that so many of our neighbors came out to pay their respects to a fellow neighbor, mother, sister, aunt. daughter, community person, who has a kid that is so bright that he i in a special program. at school. they cant keep up with him. he is amazing and brings hope.i cried for(a lot) the first time in a long time. rest in peace Rah Rah. your son will be a star one day. i know it. you did a great job and will not be forgotten.
RIP
This topic seriously doesn’t matter… but https://www.google.com/maps/place/Church+Hill,+Richmond,+VA/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x89b110dd000cd975:0x45e1a12fa4e0308?sa=X&ved=0CIcBEPIBMA9qFQoTCJGpmYG8xccCFUw6PgodOZQPdg
thank you for the respect and peace from our neighbors. i wish us all peace.
…This topic seriously doesn’t matter…but
http://www.zipmap.net/Virginia/Richmond_city/Z_Church_Hill.htm
Church Hill is not Oakwood; Oakwood is not Church Hill…
Jamie, do you see the contradiction of claiming it doesn’t matter yet REPEATEDLY bringing it up?
There’s also something so disturbing about, “This topic seriously doesn’t matter… BUT…” I can’t help but wonder, have you ever found yourself saying, “It has nothing to do with race, but…”?
I so wish we could have left it with comment #39 about respect and peace so I’ll repeat their sentiment: “I wish us all peace” and really hope some of those commenting here can learn something about respect.
As soon as you get on top the hill you are in church hill all the way until you get to Fulton I’m tired of this you people that aren’t even from here talking down on my hood
RIP Rah rah and lil willie
This is the problem today.. Everyone wants to assume or have something to say about 35th street because of its past.. Regardless of where you live or where you want to live, it’s always going to be a problem.. Live isn’t perfect..
However I wouldn’t care what an individual do or have done does not deserve to be gunned down left in a alley to die.. We all are human beings, we all live in the same community, we all put our pants on the same.. Nobody is perfect..
What I do know is that… Let him and her be at peace now.. Let the family be at peace.. It’s a bitter sweet situation.. It’s over.. All we can do is pray.. Keep negative comments to yourself.. Let their families be at peace..
on that note, I’m going to close the comments on this one for a while.