In the winter of 2019, a routine trip for popcorn before a movie night turned into a tragedy for 34-year-old Robert Gooch IV, a male U.S. Army Reserve officer. On the evening of January 8th, Gooch and his 13-year-old daughter were at a Wawa convenience store in Chesterfield, Virginia, when he was shot multiple times in what authorities described as a random act of violence. Despite being rushed to a local hospital, he succumbed to his injuries.
In the midst of the chaos, Gooch's final actions were to ensure his daughter's safety, telling her to get down and call her grandfather.
The day after the shooting, law enforcement identified and apprehended a suspect, 34-year-old George Thomas Buschmann. The arrest followed a police chase that ended with the use of spike strips to stop the stolen vehicle Buschmann was driving. Inside the car, police discovered a shotgun and a rifle. It was later revealed that there was no interaction or argument between Gooch and Buschmann before the shooting.
Buschmann was charged with first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, grand larceny of a motor vehicle, felony eluding, and two counts of illegal firearm possession. In a jailhouse interview, Buschmann claimed he acted out of fear for his own life. His sister stated that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia but was not receiving treatment. In August 2019, a judge found George Buschmann not guilty by reason of insanity. The Commonwealth's Attorney announced intentions to seek mental health treatment for Buschmann in a secure facility.
