UPDATE: Hospital shooting victim dies

10:11 p.m.

James Stephenson Lee has died of wounds he suffered in a shooting Wednesday morning at McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center, according to authorities.

4:59 p.m.

Federal court documents identified the suspect in this morning's shooting at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center as Cornelius I. Hayes and the victim as James Stephenson Lee.  

Federal authorities said Hayes, 55, of Blackstone was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm after today's shooting, and he could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of the charge.  

According to a criminal complaint affidavit, Hayes was seen firing shots in a parking lot at the hospital and Lee was shot in his head and left eye. He was taken to VCU Medical Center, where he is in critical condition.  

When Virginia State Police arrested Hayes later in Chesterfield County, they saw a revolver in Hayes' lap that contained three spent cartridges and two live rounds, according to the affidavit.  

Hayes has two prior felony convictions in 2001 for assault and battery of a law enforcement officer and for discharging a firearm at an occupied buildilng, according to the affidavit.

11:07 a.m.

Virginia State Police said the suspect in this morning's shooting at the McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center was captured after a pursuit that lasted about 10 minutes and began in Charles City County, traveled into Hopewell and ended in Chesterfield County.

Virginia State Police Sgt. Thomas J. Molnar said Trooper A. Doss Jr. spotted the suspect vehicle, a blue Ford Explorer Sport Trac sport utility vehicle, about 8:30 a.m. traveling eastbound on state Route 5 in Charles City County.

Molnar said Doss was joined by other police while following the driver to state Route 10, where the suspect stopped near Ruffin Road. As officers approached him, he drove off again on westbound Route 10, briefly crossing into the eastbound lanes while continuing to travel west, Molnar said.

The suspect vehicle crossed back over into the westbound lanes before finally being stopped and taken into custody in front of a Wawa convenience store a short distance west of Interstate 295, Molnar said.

Speeds did not exceed 65 mph during the pursuit, which ended about 8:40 a.m., Molnar said.

“Nobody was in danger,” he said.

(This has been a breaking news update. Check back for more details as they become available. An earlier update is posted below.)

10:30 a.m.

The suspect vehicle in the pursuit of a man sought in connection with a shooting at the McGuire VA Medical Center this morning was being examined by law officers as it was being put on a tow truck on state Route 10 near Interstate 295 in Chesterfield County.

Authorities had no immediate further comment about the case.

(This has been a breaking news update. Check back for more details as they become available. An earlier update is posted below.)

A man was shot and gravely wounded this morning on the grounds of the McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center in South Richmond. A suspect was arrested about 90 minutes later.

Police said the victim was taken to VCU Medical Center with life-threatening injuries after the shooting, which occurred at 7:17 a.m. in one of the outer parking lots of the sprawling facility at Broad Rock and Belt boulevards.

Authorities said initial indications were that the shooting was not a random act and that there was no reason to either evacuate or lock down the hospital and its related clinics.

"The medical center is fully operational," hospital spokeswoman Darlene Edwards said about 8:40 a.m. as she stood near the scene of the shooting, in a lot southwest of the main hospital building.

Immediately after the shooting, area police departments were asked to be on the lookout for a 2005 blue Ford Explorer Sport Trac sport utility vehicle that the shooter, also a man, was believed to be driving.

Shortly before 9 a.m., Richmond police spokesman Gene Lepley said Virginia  State Police had just taken the suspect into custody. Lepley said the arrest was made "several miles" from the hospital, but he declined to elaborate on the exact location of the arrest or to identify the suspect.

"Virginia State Police arrested him after a pursuit. We’re not releasing anything else at this point," Dee Rybiski, spokeswoman for the FBI's Richmond Division, said a short time later.

State police did not immediately comment.

Authorities had earlier reported that the victim was a woman, but said that information was mistaken.

Because the hospital is federal property, authorities said the FBI would be the lead investigative body for the shooting. Rybiski said federal officials likely would have more to say about the case this afternoon.

(This has been a breaking news update. Check back for more details as they become available. Read more in tomorrow's Richmond Times-Dispatch.)