Shockoe Bottom businesses split on reopening after shooting

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Some businesses in Shockoe Bottom are torn on whether to keep their shops open after Saturday's shooting that killed two people and injured seven others.

A few Shockoe Bottom shopkeepers are debating on keeping their stores open after Saturday morning's shooting, where two people were killed and seven others were injured near the N. 18th Street and E. Main Street intersection.

Seasons Restaurant and Bar said it has been rocked by the incident, but has decided to keep its doors open through the entire weekend, unlike other businesses.

The restaurant has called the shooting "unfortunate," but it was closed for hours before Saturday's shooting occurred. The owner, Christopher Campbell, said he felt the impact immediately.

On Saturday alone, 60 reservations were canceled at Seasons, and more have decided not to walk in on Sunday.

"Money was cut in half. Customers were cut in half immediately, just from safety concerns," Campbell said. "We're not really a part of what went on, so we're trying to be here to help those. At the same time, we have reservations and customers that are still expecting us to be here and perform the way that we know how to."

Some businesses that are normally open on Sunday afternoon have shut their doors temporarily due to slow foot traffic this weekend, according to Seasons staff.

However, the restaurant looks forward to continuing to serve as a welcoming environment, not only inside, but throughout the Shockoe neighborhood.

"I think we all just need to work together to come up with a plan to try and figure out how we can still allow our customers to come down here in the entertainment district — have fun — as well as us still be safe as business owners and as a community," Campbell said.

Richmond Police told 8News that an update to the shooting is tentatively scheduled for Monday.