Richmond police chief: Shooting outside Virginia GOP offices was a business dispute, not election-related

Richmond's police chief says an Oct. 29 shooting that wounded a bystander outside the Republican Party of Virginia's headquarters was the result of a business dispute and was not connected to the election.

"It has absolutely nothing to do with the elections or anything like that," Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards said, according to WTVR CBS 6. "This is an ongoing business dispute between two parties."

The shooting happened around 1:45 p.m. Thursday on East Grace Street, immediately in front of the Obenshain Center, which houses the state party's offices, according to a statement from the party's chair cited by WTVR. Police said 34-year-old Dorian Evans entered a nearby shop with a gun and brandished it at the business owner, a woman with whom he had an ongoing dispute. The owner fired at Evans, who fled, and the shot struck a woman across the street, police said. The bystander was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

According to WWBT 12 On Your Side, police said the owner had reported that Evans threatened her days earlier and that she had filed for a protective order. Evans had been arrested earlier that week after a report of broken windows at a business on East Grace Street and was charged with felony destruction of property; he was granted bond the following day, according to court records cited by the station. Other outlets described the business as a hair salon.

Richmond police said in a statement that although the shooting occurred near the party's headquarters, "the incident appears unrelated to any political motivations." The Republican Party of Virginia said all of its staff were safe. "The proximity of this event notwithstanding, we have no indication that the shooting was related to the operations of the Republican Party of Virginia," the party's statement said.

Evans was later arrested in Horry County, South Carolina, WWBT reported Nov. 2. Police said he ran from officers during a traffic stop but eventually surrendered. He faces charges of attempted murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. WTVR reported that the investigation into the business owner's actions is ongoing.

Police ask anyone with information to call Detective J. Wilson at 804-646-0712 or Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.

Sources: AP (https://apnews.com/article/virigina-shooting-republican-party-offices-6ad4e30f900a0c4059c9398f8524773e); WTVR CBS 6 (https://www.wtvr.com/news/local-news/woman-shot-republican-party-virginia-offices-oct-29-2026); WWBT 12 On Your Side (https://www.12onyourside.com/2026/11/02/man-wanted-richmond-shooting-arrested-south-carolina/)

Richmond is an independent city in the Richmond region.