Crime & Safety
July 4 Richmond Mass Shooting Plot Sees Feds Charge 2 Men: Report
Prosecutors had no evidence the accused men in a July 4 mass shooting plot planned to target Dogwood Dell specifically, a report said.
RICHMOND, VA — Federal officials are taking over the case in which two Guatemalan men are accused of planning a July 4 mass shooting in Richmond, according to a report. City prosecutors also told a judge that, despite earlier police reports, they had no evidence the pair intended to target Dogwood Dell.
A Richmond judge on Wednesday withdrew firearm charges against Julio Alvarado-Dubon and Rolman Balcarcel Ac after learning both men were facing federal charges, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.
Alvarado-Dubon was indicted earlier this week by a federal grand jury on a charge of possession of a firearm by a non-U.S. citizen, according to the Times-Dispatch. Balcarcel Ac was also charged by federal prosecutors with entering the United States illegally.
Find out what's happening in Richmondwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Both men were arrested after a "hero citizen" alerted Richmond police about a potential mass shooting on July 4. The tip led to the arrests of Alvarado-Dubon and Balcarcel Ac, as well as the seizure of multiple firearms.
RELATED: Richmond Police Thwart July 4 Mass Shooting At Dogwood Dell
Find out what's happening in Richmondwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The two men were roommates, according to authorities.
Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith said both men intended to carry out a mass shooting during Richmond's Fourth of July celebration at Dogwood Dell. The Diamond was also among possible targets, Smith said.
Police announced the thwarted shooting just two days after a gunman killed multiple people and injured more than three dozen when he opened fire on a Fourth of July parade from a rooftop in Highland Park, Illinois.
Prosecutors revealed they had no evidence of a planned shooting at Dogwood Dell after Richmond General District Court Judge David Hicks disclosed he had two sons there on July 4, the Times-Dispatch reported. Hicks said if there were evidence, he would recuse himself from the case due to a possible conflict of interest.
Prosecutors said there was evidence of a planned shooting but not at a specific location, according to the Times-Dispatch.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.