Richmond, Virginia: Woman Shot Outside Republican Party Headquarters, Police Say It Was Not Election Related

A woman was shot on Thursday afternoon, Oct. 29, directly in front of the headquarters of the Republican Party of Virginia in downtown Richmond, days before the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Police said the shooting was not connected to the elections or to the party.

The Republican Party of Virginia said the shooting happened around 1:45 p.m. in front of The Obenshain Center, its offices in the 100 block of East Grace Street. City of Richmond first responders were at the scene within minutes, and all party staff members were safe, the party said in a statement posted online.

Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards said the woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to the Associated Press. Edwards said the shooting outside the party offices had nothing to do with the upcoming midterm elections.

Brought inside bleeding

Frank Loehr, the party chief financial officer, told reporters that he and other staff members were working inside when they heard shots outside. Loehr said the woman had been speaking with two people at a booth outside the building, and that the booth was not affiliated with the party.

After she was shot, the woman was brought inside the building bleeding. She was conscious and moaning in pain, and appeared to have been struck in the shoulder, Loehr said. First responders then took her away for treatment.

"I was shook up, and I'm still a little shook up," Loehr said.

Search for the shooter

The Washington Examiner reported that a manhunt was underway for the person who fired the shots. Police had not announced an arrest or a motive in the reports published on Thursday, and the party said it had no indication the shooting was related to its operations.

"The proximity of this event notwithstanding, we have no indication that the shooting was related to the operations of the Republican Party of Virginia," the party said in its statement.

The shooting put a police scene outside a state party headquarters in the final days of the midterm campaign, even as both the party and the city police chief moved quickly to say the attack did not appear to target the party or the election. The investigation remained active on Thursday afternoon.

The party headquarters is the Richard D. Obenshain Center at 115 East Grace Street in downtown Richmond. The Washington Examiner, citing local station WRIR, reported that blood could be seen at the site outside the headquarters. Reports on Thursday did not name the woman, and police did not describe a suspect in the accounts published by the Associated Press, Fox News or the Examiner.