LYNCHBURG, Va. – A 44-year-old man is facing several charges in connection with a shooting incident at a Lynchburg apartment complex, according to the Lynchburg Police Department.
On Wednesday at about 11:45 p.m., Lynchburg Police were called to the James Crossing Apartments, and when they arrived at the scene, they found a shotgun left on Greenfield Drive and shell casings from a handgun scattered in the parking lot. Officers said witnesses told them that they saw a man dressed in all black fleeing the scene.
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While searching the premises, officers saw a man matching the suspect’s description leaving in a cab and were able to stop it before it left the apartment complex.
When they searched the vehicle, they found a shotgun shell in the area where the suspect, later identified as 44-year-old Mitchell Larnell Bennett Jr, of Madison Heights, was sitting.
Authorities said that a gun also fell from Bennett Jr when they arrested him. After investigating more, they learned that Bennett Jr. fired a gun into the parking lot following an earlier altercation.
As a convicted felon, Bennett Jr. faces multiple charges, including:
- Possession of a Firearm by Convicted Felon
- 3 counts of Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted Felon
- Discharge a Firearm into an Occupied Building
- Discharge a Firearm in the City
- 2 counts of Property Damage (Felony)
Bennett Jr. is currently being held at the Lynchburg Blue Ridge Regional Jail without bond.
The Lynchburg Police Department is actively investigating this incident and believes there may be additional individuals involved. Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact the Lynchburg Police Department at (434) 455-6041 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 798-5900. Anonymous tips can also be submitted online at http://p3tips.com or through the P3 app on mobile devices by texting CVCS to 738477. Message and data rates may apply; terms and privacy policy for P3 are available online.