Homicide investigation underway as Virginia shooting claims four people, including three children

Suspect was the father of two of the children and was previously in a relationship with the adult victim, police say

A homicide investigation is underway after four people were found shot in Chesterfield, south of the Virginia capital of Richmond.

Police were sent to the scene on Laurel Oak Road shortly before 5am on Friday morning to investigate a disturbance.

Major Mike Louth told reporters that four people had been killed and that three of the victims were children, NBC12 reported.

A suspect has been arrested and the victims have been identified as JoAnna Cottle, 39, Kaelyn Parson, 13, Kinsey Cottle, 4, Jayson Cottle, 4.

On Friday afternoon, police said in a press release that “police entered the residence to perform a welfare check and found four shooting victims, all of whom were pronounced dead at the scene. The suspect was not on scene when police arrived”.

“JoAnna Cottle is the mother of the three children and all four victims lived in the Laurel Oak Road residence,” police said.

The suspect has been identified as Jonah Adams, 35. According to law enforcement, “Adams was previously in a relationship with JoAnna Cottle and is the father of Kinsey Cottle and Jayson Cottle”.

“Chesterfield detectives have obtained warrants for Adams for four counts of first-degree murder in relation to this morning’s homicide,” police added. “Adams was apprehended by agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) near his residence in Maryland and remains in custody in that state.”

A shooting in Virginia has claimed several victims, police say (Screenshot / NBC12)

Major Louth told reporters police are urging the public to get in touch.

“If they saw anything, they heard anything, anything that stood out of the way to them, please call us, let us make the determination whether it's significant or not,” he said.

Major Louth told NBC12 that the neighbourhood isn’t crime-heavy.