Boy, 10, Shot Dead As Police Search for 'Armed and Dangerous' Woman

A search has been launched to find an armed suspect after a 10-year-old boy was shot at a Virginia home, according to police. The female suspect has been identified by law enforcement as Tashawanda Nicole Drayton who is described as "armed and dangerous."

Police in Franklin, about 75 miles southeast of Richmond and close to the North Carolina border, were alerted to reports of a shooting in a residential area in the south of the city at around 3 p.m. on August 9.

When officers arrived they found two gunshot victims, both in the same block but in different houses, and determined the injuries were life-threatening. Police said the gunshot victims were aged 10 and 37, both male, and that they were given treatment soon afterward.

During their investigation, police learned that four people arrived at the home of the 37-year-old and that an altercation took place. At one point, one of the group produced a firearm and started shooting, with bullets striking both victims.

Franklin police later identified the suspect as Tashawanda Nicole Drayton, 24, and secured a warrant against her.

She is wanted for first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated malicious wounding, two counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling, use of a firearm in commission of a felony, threat to burn or damage a building, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and discharge of a firearm in a public place.

Drayton, 24, is described as "armed and dangerous," by police. She is a Black woman, 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs around 250 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Franklin police said in an August 9 Facebook post: "While securing the scene, Franklin Fire and Rescue responded and began to administer life-saving aid and transported both victims to Bon Secours Southampton Memorial Hospital.

"Due to the injuries received, the 37-year-old adult male was flown to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital where he has been treated and released.

"The 10-year-old male child succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. Due to the age of the child, we will not be releasing his name."

Franklin Police Chief Steve Patterson said: "This is a very sad day for the City of Franklin. Any loss of life is unwarranted, but for a 10-year-old to be the victim of violent crime is unacceptable and we as a community must come together and end this senselessness.

"The Franklin Police Department offers its condolences to the family of the young man killed today and hopes the community will come together to support both families during this time."

According to the Gun Violence Archive, a database that collects information about shootings across the country, 11 people have been fatally shot in Virginia since August 1 this year.

Newsweek has contacted the City of Franklin Virginia Police Department for comment via email.