Stray Bullets in D.C. & RVA Damage Historic Sites

Shooting Down History

By Mo Karnage
QuailBellMagazine.com

It's a train bulletin, not a train bullet. A stray bullet hit the wall pictured here.

The damage to an exterior door at the Richmond Train Museum.

In an odd coincidence, historic sites in both D.C. and Richmond recently suffered mild damage as a result of stray bullets.

The Richmond Railroad Museum opened their doors Dec. 21 to find evidence of bullets in the old Southern Railway Passenger Station. I happened to be there to get some pictures for the article I was writing about the museum at the time. The museum volunteers called the police to show them the damage. It seemed to be mostly a hole in one door with a corresponding hole in the plaster wall of the hallway, plus a broken window pane in the stationmaster's office.

The incident in Richmond seems tame compared to an intense shootout that happened in D.C. on Dec. 26. The African American Civil War Memorial and Museum was in the middle of a volley of 60 or so shots. Bullets damaged the surrounding area, with one bullet even striking a panel listing the members of the 121st Regiment Colored Infantry. Fortunately, none of the names was damaged.

Extra fortunately, no one was hurt in either of these incidents. Historic sites pale in importance to human life. But people need to be more careful with guns. Someone could have gotten hurt or killed. Stray bullets are a big deal. Tighten up D.C. and Richmond!