A woman was shot directly outside the Republican Party of Virginia headquarters in downtown Richmond on Thursday afternoon, just days before voters were set to participate in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

Police said the gunfire stemmed from an unrelated dispute and struck an innocent bystander, as reported by Fox News.

The shooting happened around 1:45 p.m. in front of the Obenshain Center, which houses the state Republican Party’s offices. The building is located in the 100 block of East Grace Street, according to local outlet WTVR.

Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards said the wounded woman suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening. She was taken to a hospital for treatment following the shooting.

Police said the incident was not connected to the upcoming midterm elections, according to The Associated Press. Party officials separately said they had no indication that the shooting was related to the Republican Party’s work or operations.

The shooting unfolded after an ongoing dispute apparently entered a hair salon across the street from the Republican headquarters. Edwards said a woman inside the salon told investigators that a man with whom she had the dispute entered the business.

The woman inside the salon then fired shots in self-defense, according to the account she gave investigators. A different woman who was walking near the salon was struck by the gunfire.

Police said the woman who allegedly fired the shots was taken into custody. Authorities continued investigating the circumstances surrounding the confrontation and the gunfire that followed.

Investigators also found blood at the scene, leading police to believe the man who entered the salon might have been shot as well. Police had not confirmed whether he was injured.

Edwards urged the man to turn himself in so that he could receive medical attention and speak with detectives. His condition and whereabouts remained unclear as investigators worked to determine precisely what happened.

The Republican Party of Virginia addressed the shooting in a post on X. The party said Richmond first responders reached the scene within minutes and confirmed that every member of its staff was safe.

“Around 1:45 p.m. today, a woman was shot immediately in front of The Obenshain Center, the offices of the Republican Party of Virginia. City of Richmond first responders were at the scene within minutes.”

The party continued its statement by confirming the condition of its personnel. “All Republican Party of Virginia staff are safe,” the post read.

Despite the shooting’s close proximity to the party headquarters and its occurrence less than a week before Election Day, the Virginia GOP said there was no known connection to its activities. Police also said the shooting was unrelated to the elections.

“The proximity of this event notwithstanding, we have no indication that the shooting was related to the operations of the Republican Party of Virginia,” the party wrote on X.

Authorities continued examining the dispute that allegedly led to the shooting. The investigation also remained focused on whether the man who entered the salon was wounded before leaving the scene.

The available account from police indicated that the woman walking near the salon was caught in gunfire connected to the confrontation inside the business. She was not described as being involved in the underlying dispute.

The episode brought a swift response to the area surrounding the Obenshain Center, but party officials emphasized that their staff members were unharmed. The woman struck outside was hospitalized with injuries police said were not life threatening.

The Richmond Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Questions about the broader circumstances of the dispute and the possible injury to the man remained part of the ongoing investigation.

BREAKING: A woman was just SHOT right outside the Virginia GOP headquarters in downtown Richmond. Staff is safe, thank God. Given the insane political climate, everyone feared the worst. Praying for the victim. Law and order MUST be restored! https://t.co/HA5lWXNZp2

— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) October 29, 2026

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