Hopewell police have arrested a "person of interest" in connection with the Thanksgiving night killing of a Richmond fire lieutenant and mother of three, but the individual has not been charged with the murder, according to a source with knowledge of the investigation.
The person of interest, who has not yet been identified, currently is being held on a charge unrelated to the fatal shooting of Richmond fire Lt. Ashley Nicole Berry, who was shielding her 5-year-old son from the gunfire when she was struck and fatally injured. Police said Berry was not the intended target of the shooting.
Hopewell detectives are still in the process of making a case against the individual whom they believe fired the fatal shots, said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Hopewell officials will hold a 4 p.m. news conference Friday to "discuss the recent violent crimes in the community." Hopewell police, along with city administrators and members of city council, are expected to attend and make statements.
"After the senseless killing of Richmond Fire Department Lt. Ashley Nicole Berry on Thanksgiving night, the community has continued to experience acts of violence," a Hopewell police spokesman said in a release.
"This is a community issue, only when we work together can we prevent these acts of violence," Hopewell Mayor Jasmine Gore said in a statement.
Earlier this week, Hopewell police Chief Kamran Afzal said Berry was celebrating Thanksgiving at the home of her boyfriend's family in Hopewell and was preparing to leave when she was struck by gunfire from a gunman outside who was firing at an adjacent residence. Afzal said Berry was not the intended target, and neither was home of her boyfriend's family where they were they had gathered for Thanksgiving.
Investigators recovered multiple cartridge casings from the shooting scene. A silver or gold SUV was seen leaving the area at a high rate of speed.