CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLERIGHTNOW) – UPDATE 12PM, 2/18: Albemarle Police Chief Sean Reeves said that without the brave actions of a federal law enforcement officer who happened to be coming out of the Crozet Harris Teeter and was able to stop the Monday afternoon shooting incident, the casualty count could have been much higher. Reeves would not mention the officer’s name or agency and also declined to name the gunman.

Police later issued a release identifying the gunman as 28-year-old Justin M. Barbour of Crozet. Reeves also confirmed that the woman who was shot in her car and taken to UVA in critical condition, 68-year-old Diane G. Springer of Afton, died overnight from her injuries.

Capt. Darrell Byers provided a timeline of the incident and said that the man Barbour first shot, 43-year-old Peter L. Martin of Crozet, was coming out of the store. Byers confirmed that the gunman used an AR-15 assault rifle, and Col. Reeves said he had other firearms with him. Investigators do not know if the gunman and victims had any association with each other and have not identified a motive.

Reeves emphasized the importance of finding answers, stating, “Why did the shooter choose Harris Teeter? Why did he take the lives of two innocent people? In the coming days and weeks, our investigators will work tirelessly to answer these questions, though we may never find all the answers.”

Col. Reeves said Barbour did not have a criminal history but had prior contact with law enforcement, with the most recent being in January 2025. Capt. Byers did not disclose details of that contact, citing the ongoing investigation.

Authorities ask anyone who was in the Harris Teeter area at the time of the shooting and has not yet spoken with investigators to contact Det. Holmes at 434-296-5807 or Crime Stoppers at 434-977-4000. Even the smallest details may be helpful.