Dora Hill Obituary, Death – A small bouquet wrapped with a red ribbon marks the location where a 15-year-old girl was tragically shot and killed in Richmond’s Jackson Ward neighborhood on Wednesday afternoon. The flowers were left by a neighbor who described the victim as a sweet girl who was always smiling and called her death “devastating.”
The teen, identified by her family as Dora Hill, lived just a block away from the 1100 block of North 1st Street, where the shooting occurred around 5:30 p.m. Her family, who chose not to speak on camera, described her as a caring and joyful person who could light up a room. They also shared that she had a motherly nature and was always willing to cook for others if they were hungry. Dora was particularly excited about her upcoming 16th birthday and was eagerly planning for her prom, which was just around the corner.
Richmond Police have yet to release many details about the circumstances surrounding her death. However, they confirmed they were called to a shooting near North 1st and East Hill Streets shortly before 5:30 p.m. Neighbors reported hearing an argument followed by a gunshot and screams.
Police said that Dora was with a “known person”—another teenager—at the time of the shooting, and that person was detained for questioning. Authorities have stated that no one else is being sought in connection with the shooting, though no charges have been filed against the detained individual.
Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards expressed his sorrow at the situation during an interview with CBS 6’s Jon Burkett at the scene. He condemned the use of guns to resolve conflicts, emphasizing the tragic consequences of allowing tempers to escalate to violence. “If you know you’re the type of person that can’t control your temper, don’t bring a gun to an argument,” Edwards stated. “You bring a gun to an argument, you don’t know what you’re going to do. Now we have a 15-year-old girl dead; we have another young man who is going to be likely in prison for the rest of his life, or a good chunk of his life. He’s ruined his own life because of this.”
The chief added that he would address this and other recent shootings in an upcoming quarterly crime briefing. The community is left mourning the loss of a young life, and the police investigation into the incident continues.
