Police investigating after man shot during alleged attempted robbery in Richmond, teen arrives with gunshot wound at hospital

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- After a man was shot during an alleged attempted robbery on Hull Street in Richmond, and a 16-year-old arrived at a local hospital less than an hour later with a gunshot wound, police are investigating both incidents, which may be connected.

At 6:18 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 3, officers with the Richmond Police Department were called to the 2100 block of Hull Street for the report of a shooting.

When officers arrived, they found a man who reported he was shot by an unknown man during an attempted robbery.

The man said he met the suspect to buy something after the transaction began online. When the suspect arrived, police said he brandished a firearm, attempted to rob the victim and fired a shot, which hit the victim. He was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Less than an hour later, at around 7 p.m., police said a 16-year-old boy who had an apparent gunshot wound arrived at a local hospital. He had non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

Police said that detectives are investigating the possibility that the 16-year-old may have been involved in the attempted robbery on Hull Street.

With this shooting in mind, Richmond Police have reminded the public to use Safe Exchange Zones, located at two police precincts -- Second Precinct, located at 177 E. Belt Blvd, and Fourth Precinct, located at 2219 Chamberlayne Ave.

Safe Exchange Zones are well-marked areas with video cameras that record constantly. Although the cameras are not monitored live, police said that if an incident were to occur, the video can be used to assist a detective's investigation.

If you can't get to a Safe Exchange location, police said to take the following safety tips:

• Meet at a well-lit, public location that you choose.
• Do not conduct exchanges at your home or at the unknown person’s home.
• Conduct exchanges during daylight hours.
• Avoid meeting strangers alone.
• Share your location with a trusted friend or family member.
• Trust your instincts, if something does not feel right, cancel the meeting.
• If there is an emergency, call 911.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Major Crimes Detective B. Bertsch at 804-646-3874.