Man dead after shooting near Fredericksburg motorcycle clubhouse

A man is dead after a shooting near a Fredericksburg, Virginia, motorcycle clubhouse last weekend.

The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office said Ely Grimes, 47, of Fredericksburg, died of his wounds after a shooting around 10:15 a.m. Sunday in a business parking lot at 1130 International Parkway.

Deputies arriving on scene found Grimes suffering from a gunshot wound to the chest, with the suspect — now identified as 38-year-old George Ronald Batts Jr., of Richlands, North Carolina — still brandishing a handgun.

According to a police account of the incident, Batts refused multiple orders to drop his weapon. Batts allegedly pointed his gun at the responding deputies, who then shot and wounded him. No deputies were injured.

Law enforcement administered first aid to Grimes and Batts before both were transported to a hospital for treatment. Grimes later succumbed to his chest wound.

Detectives later determined both Grimes and Batts were attending an event for the Tuckahoe Motorcycle Club, which has a clubhouse in the business park. A murder charge is now pending for Batts, upgraded from initial charges of malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.

The deputies involved in shooting and wounding Batts have been placed on paid administrative leave.

Alejandro Alvarez

Alejandro Alvarez joined WTOP as a digital journalist and editor in June 2018. He is a reporter and photographer focusing on politics, political activism and international affairs.

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