A Virginia Beach man is facing multiple felony charges after a shooting Tuesday night sent one person to the hospital.
Just after 10 p.m. on May 14, Virginia Beach Police officers responded to a call about gunfire in the 200 block of Standard Lane. When they got there, they found a victim with gunshot wounds. Thankfully, the injuries were not life-threatening, and the victim was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
It didn’t take long for detectives with the department’s Violent Crimes Unit to identify a suspect. By early the next morning, 52-year-old Robert Edwards Jr., a Virginia Beach resident, was in custody.
He’s now facing three charges:
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Malicious Wounding
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Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony
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Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon
VBPD Chief Paul Neudigate didn’t mince words in his response to the arrest.
“Once again, a shooting incident involves a convicted felon in possession of a firearm,” he said. “If we as a society truly want to reduce shooting violence, we must encourage our legislators to pass meaningful legislation that would cause convicted felons to think twice before picking up a gun.”
This shooting is the latest in a string of cases where individuals with prior convictions are once again involved in gun-related crimes, putting renewed focus on the debate over state and federal gun laws.