The informant heard a conversation about an attack on the Dogwood Dell amphitheater in Virginia, and the tip culminated in two arrests and the seizure of weapons and ammunition.
A call from a citizen to the Police of the American city of Richmond, in the state of Virginia, prevented a shooting in an amphitheater with a capacity of up to 2,400 people during the celebration of the Independence Day of the United States. The ‘hero’ informant assured Richmond security forces that he had overheard a conversation in which a person planned to attack the Dogwood Dell amphitheater during the US national holidayas reported by CNN.
“A phone call saved numerous lives on July 4,” said the chief of the Richmond Police Department, Gerald Smith, in statements collected by the aforementioned agency. The notice came on June 29, the day the Police showed up at a house in the southern district of Richmond and seized two assault rifles, a pistol and 200 rounds of ammunition. Friday July 1 a 52-year-old man was arrested, while a second person was detained by police officers on Tuesday, July 5, one day after the celebration of Independence Day. Both suspects have been charged with not being US citizens in possession of a firearm, NBC reported.
“They were actually planning to shoot our July 4th celebration (…) We know what their intention is, but we don’t have their motive, we know they lived in the same place,” added Smith, detailing that the police officers in charge of The investigation acted with caution. “It is not known how many lives this hero citizen saved with a phone call (…) Public safety is a responsibility of all of us. A phone call saved numerous lives on July 4,” added the Richmond Police Chief.
For his part, the governor of the state of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, thanked the “hero who stopped a possible massacre” for alerting police officers. “I want to thank and applaud the hero in Virginia who stopped a potential massacre by alerting our brave Richmond Police Department officers who work tirelessly every day to protect our communities. It’s a great reminder that if you see something, let someone know.” your local police,” Youngkin posted on Twitter.
On July 4, a shooting in the city of Chicago while celebrating Independence Day resulted in the death of 7 people. In addition, 39 others were injured. These attacks take place at a time when US civil society is debating the legalization of firearms in the country, as well as the possibility of tightening the requirements and restrictions on firearms, placing special emphasis on firearms. assault.