HARRISONBURG, VA (Rocktown Now) — 19-year-old Preston Crawford of Broadway has been arrested in connection with a shooting that took place in the 200 block of Vine Street on September 1, 2026.

At 4:52 pm on September 1, 2026, the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Emergency Communication Center (HRECC) received a call stating there were multiple gunshots heard in the 200 block of Vine Street. Just after that, an additional caller stated he had just shot someone who broke into his apartment.

According to Harrisonburg Police Department Outreach and Communication Specialist Juliana McGrath-Myers, Crawford was located at the scene with multiple gunshot wounds, and aid was immediately rendered by first responders before he was transported to the hospital.

Harrisonburg Police Department (HPD) detectives began investigating the shooting and were provided home security footage from inside the apartment. The video showed Crawford and a 15-year-old juvenile entering the apartment. Crawford entered first with a handgun pointed out in front of him. When the resident of the apartment, Joshua Dean, saw Crawford with the firearm pointed at him, he began firing at Crawford, who was struck multiple times.

Crawford has been charged with the following:

  • Felony count of Breaking and Entering with Intent to Commit Murder
  • Felony count of Conspiracy to Commit a Felony
  • Felony count of Display of a Firearm While Committing a Felony
  • Misdemeanor count of Removing, Altering, or Obliterating a Firearm Serial Number
  • Felony count of Concealing Identity by Wearing a Mask or Other Covering

Specific information regarding Crawford’s pending charges was withheld from the initial news release to
protect the integrity of the investigation.