HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Two dogs are recovering on Monday after they were shot multiple times in the backyard of their Highland Springs home in Henrico County. It happened on Sunday, May 5, and the person who is responsible for seriously hurting the pets is still evading police capture.
Investigators with the Henrico County Police Division say they can’t recall the last time an incident this concerning happened involving someone’s pets. Some neighbors in the area say this isn’t normal activity for their quiet community and the ordeal- was all caught on video.
Security camera footage of the incident that was released by Henrico Police, which shows a person with a gun allegedly shooting at the dogs several times before jumping a fence and running through the neighborhood — all of which happened around 4 p.m. that Sunday.
Officers then responded to Elsing Green Way after receiving reports of a shooting.
Henrico investigators say the man who owned the dogs heard the shots fired and come outside and found two of his dogs injured in his backyard.
“It’s ridiculous. He’s a peaceful person, a hard-working person. I can’t imagine who would want to do that. The man doesn’t bother anyone. He goes to work. He’s just a fine gentleman,” said a neighbor who only wishes to be identified as Ms. Haywood.
Ms. Haywood has lived in the Highland Springs neighborhood for 25 years. She says even though she considers the area home, it has come with its heartbreaks. Her grandson was killed at her home in 2022.
“That was really an ordeal,” Ms. Haywood said. “And the next thing I heard… was about this nice neighbor who lived across the street and his dogs,” said Haywood.
She says even though she considers the peaceful neighborhood to be home, she would love her home from afar and leave the area if she could.
“If I were younger, I probably would sell and do something else if I were younger. It’s very sad for me. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about my grandson. That was the most horrific experience I ever had,” Haywood said, tearfully.
The May 5 shooting has left neighborhood residents like Haywood with more questions that need to be answered.
“Why was he in his yard for even that possibility of the dogs attacking him?” asked Haywood. “The dog, if he did attack, he was in the wrong place because that’s what the dog is for. To protect my property. To protect me.”
Henrico police were unable to provide an update on the pets at the time this story was published. Officials want anyone who recognizes the person in the video or has information about what happened to contact them immediately.
