Man Shot in Fredericksburg Armed Robbery

A Fredericksburg man is recovering after an attempted armed robbery left him with a gunshot wound through the arm.

Fredericksburg Police say that the incident occurred around 7:40 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 26, 2011 in the 1200 block of Railroad Avenue in the Mayfield neighborhood.

According to city police spokesperson Natatia Bledsoe, a 24-year-old man who lives in Idlewilde, was visiting a friend's house in Mayfield when he was attacked. Police say that the victim had stepped out briefly to make a trip to 7-11. On his way back, his assailant jumped out from behind some bushes next to the sidewalk and demanded money from the victim.

The victim told police that, as the incident began, he did not notice a weapon on the man. Thus, the victim began to fight back. The struggle went to the ground for a moment when a gunshot report cut through the air. The victim had been shot through the left bicep.

"Obviously he got quite lucky," said Bledsoe. "It could have been much much worse for our victim."

After the gunshot, both the victim and the assailant quickly fled. The victim ran back to his friend's house, where police and rescue personnel were alerted of the incident. The victim was taken to Mary Washington Hospital and treated for his gunshot wound as well as some scrapes from the struggle.

Police say that they do not have many details to go on. The victim was unable to provide a complete description, saying only that he was a black male of unknown age standing between 5'6" and 5'8" tall.

In all, seven police officers and a k-9 unit were deployed to the area afterwards to try and find the suspect.