‘Hero Citizen’ in Richmond, Virginia, Helped Thwart Mass Shooting Planned for July 4 Celebration: Police

First responders work the scene of a shooting at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Ill., on July 4, 2022. Jim Vondruska/Getty Images

Police in Richmond, Virginia, prevented a mass shooting being planned for July 4 after they received a tip from a concerned citizen.

The informant, whom the police declined to identify, overheard a conversation about the planned mass shooting and reported it to the police department on July 1, Chief Gerald Smith said during a press conference on July 6.

The authorities began investigating a residence under suspicion and saw “evidence in plain view” corroborating the informant’s tip. Officers checked the home and discovered a handgun, two rifles, and 223 rounds of ammunition.

On July 1, police arrested and charged Julio Alvarado-Dubon for being a non-U.S. citizen in possession of a firearm. The second suspect, Rolman Balacarcel, was under police surveillance throughout the holiday weekend. He was arrested and charged on July 5 on the same count.

The duo, who were roommates, could face additional charges in the future, police said. They are being held without bond.

According to the police, evidence pointed to the suspects planning to open fire at a city baseball game and Richmond’s July 4 celebration at the Dogwood Dell amphitheater.

“The success of this particular investigation can only be juxtaposed against the horrors which the rest of the country has seen. There is no telling how many lives this hero citizen saved from one phone call,” Smith said at the press conference.

“Public safety is the responsibility of us all. One phone call saved numerous lives on the Fourth of July,“ he said. ”And moving forward we implore that everyone, if you see something, say something. If you hear something, say something.”

Other Shooting Incidents

There were several shootings in major cities across the country over the July 4 weekend. In Chicago, 81 people were shot from July 1 to July 4, and 12 of the victims were killed. In Highland Park, a Chicago suburb, a shooter killed seven people and injured dozens of others at a July 4 parade.

In New York City, 52 people were shot, including nine killed, from July 1 to July 4, which is an uptick compared to the 32 victims, including eight killed, during the same period in 2021.

In Philadelphia, 36 gunshot victims were registered over the holiday weekend, with 10 fatalities. In Baltimore, 11 people were shot and four of them died.

In an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, retired Dallas police sergeant Tre Pennie, who is also president of the National Fallen Officer Foundation, called on social media companies to share worrisome content with the police.

“The reality is these social media companies, they see this content on their platform and they’re not sharing it with law enforcement. … The bottom line is, if we don’t get the information before the attack occurs, then there’s no way that we can intervene to stop the attacks from even happening.”