Multiple Children Gunned Down in Richmond Shooting

One person has been shot dead and several others injured after a gunman opened fire at a group of children outside a Virginia apartment complex.

Officers raced to The Belt Atlantic apartments in Richmond, Virginia, after they were alerted to the shooting around 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith told NBC12 the gunman shot at the group before a different person started firing back. He said several people were shot and at least one person was killed.

Smith said the victims were a baby, two teenagers and two women. One of the women who was wounded in the shooting later died at a hospital.

Smith told the network: "It's just a heinous act that baffles the mind as to why anyone would do this in a quad full of children out enjoying themselves. One of the hardest things to say is one was a 3-month-old at the time they were shot. The 3-month-old is in serious condition at this time."

Police launched a manhunt to find the suspect and said the shooter is on the run and that anyone who has any information should come forward.

Smith said: "Someone knows who did this act. They know. There's too many people out there, too many eyes, too many connections for people who live here not to know who did this."

Police did not comment on a possible motive for the shooting.

Officials told NBC12 that one of the police officers who responded to the shooting and raced to the apartment complex was involved in a crash. They said the officer was not seriously injured and is expected to fully recover.

Photos taken near to where the shooting happened showed multiple police cars at the apartment complex, which had been cordoned off. Multiple officers could also be seen near the buildings.

A police vehicle was pictured with its hood having been seriously damaged at the intersection of Midlothian Turnpike and W Roanoke Street.

Following the shooting, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney released a statement saying his "heart ached" for the victims' families.

"Earlier this evening, five innocent bystanders in our city were shot, one fatally, in a single, senseless act of gun violence. This is a tragedy that no community should have to experience. My heart aches for our families," Stoney said.

Anyone with information is to call Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000.

Newsweek has contacted the Richmond Police Department for comment.