The owner of a North Carolina urgent-care practice has been charged with multiple felonies after Virginia State Police said two sisters were shot during a road-rage encounter on Interstate 77.
The shooting happened around 8:50 a.m. Saturday, August 22, on northbound I-77 in Carroll County, roughly three miles north of the North Carolina state line, according to WBTV and a Monday update carried by Gray News.
Two passengers were wounded
State police said someone in a Mercedes-Benz fired into a moving Jeep after an encounter between the vehicles. A 20-year-old woman and a 12-year-old girl inside the Jeep suffered gunshot wounds to their legs. Police described the victims as sisters and said their injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Troopers stopped the Mercedes about 15 miles farther north near Exit 19 and arrested 61-year-old Richard T. Arriviello of Charlotte, North Carolina.
The charges
Arriviello was charged with maliciously shooting into an occupied vehicle, shooting from a vehicle, malicious wounding and using a firearm in the commission of a felony, according to state police. He was taken to the New River Valley Regional Jail.
WBTV confirmed through state medical records and practice staff that Arriviello is a licensed physician and owns Family Urgent Care in Union County, North Carolina.
Police also charged the Jeep’s driver with reckless driving. Authorities did not publicly identify that driver or explain what conduct led to that charge.
A criminal case, not a conclusion
The charges against Arriviello are allegations, and no conviction has been reported. Police have not released a complete account of what preceded the gunfire.
The professional detail makes the story more startling, but it does not decide the case. Medical credentials are not evidence of guilt or innocence; neither is a viral headline. The central documented facts are that two sisters were wounded, police arrested a driver farther up the interstate and prosecutors now have several felony allegations to prove.
Facts first. Side-eye included.
DJF separates what is confirmed from what is claimed—and tells you why this particular mess is worth your time.