It was a warm Friday evening in Richmond, Virginia, on June 19, 2020, when a domestic dispute escalated into a tragic and fatal shooting. Betty D. Richardson, a 63-year-old female, was in her apartment at the Shockoe Hill Apartments on Hospital Street when she was shot and killed. The Richmond Police Department responded to a call about the shooting at approximately 11:49 p.m.
Upon their arrival, officers discovered a chaotic scene with three victims inside the apartment building.
Betty D. Richardson was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other individuals, an adult male and an adult female, were also found with gunshot wounds. They were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. All four individuals involved were known to each other.
The investigation quickly identified Betty’s son, 47-year-old Jesse Richardson, as the suspect in the shootings. With the assistance of the Virginia State Police, Jesse Richardson was located in a nearby apartment. He was found to have sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound and was also deceased.
Detectives from the Richmond Police Department concluded that Jesse Richardson had shot his mother and the two other victims before turning the gun on himself in a tragic murder-suicide. The investigation is ongoing, but authorities have stated that they are not searching for any additional suspects in connection with this incident.
