CHESTERFIELD, Va. (AP) — A suburban Richmond man accused of shooting at the opposing attorney in his child custody case faces attempted murder and other charges, police said Thursday.
Mark M. Low, 41, also is charged with abduction, use of a firearm in a felony and shooting into an occupied dwelling. He was being held without bond Thursday evening at the Chesterfield County Jail and was scheduled to appear in court Friday.
Chesterfield Police Capt. David Pritchard said a shot fired outside the entrance to the law office missed the attorney and hit the side of the three-story building, which is just across from the Chesterfield County Courthouse. Pritchard said the attorney, who was not identified, and a bystander received minor injuries when they fell while trying to run from the scene.
According to Pritchard, the attorney and the suspect had been in court that morning for a hearing. An off-duty Capitol police officer at the law office on personal business arrested the man with help from a Chesterfield officer who happened to be nearby. They confronted the man with their guns drawn and took a rifle from the man, who was arrested without a struggle, Pritchard said.
Police evacuated some of the building and put the rest on lockdown while they searched property to make sure there were no other suspects.
After being interviewed by police, several law office employees comforted one another outside the building, its entrance cordoned off with yellow police tape. One of the workers waved and said “thank you” to the Capitol police officer as he drove away.
Real estate agent Wanda Rasnick said the building also houses her office, a dental practice and the local office of U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes.
“Who was after who, we didn’t know,” said Rasnick, who heard a single shot ring out from below as she worked in her second floor office. “I didn’t know what it was and just kept working.”
She said the shooting was frightening, but added, “I’ll just keep my door locked.”
