The owner of a Virginia real estate firm was injured in a shooting at her home on New Year’s Eve in what her family described as a botched burglary attempt.
Judy Boone, 72, owner of Judy Boone Realty in Norfolk, was taken to a local hospital late on Tuesday after police were called to reports of gunfire at a residence in the 1800 block of East Ocean View Avenue.
Officers arrived just before midnight and found Boone suffering from a gunshot wound that was not considered life-threatening.
Boone’s family said in a statement that she was shot three times inside her home and remains hospitalized while recovering from her injuries.
The statement read: “Judy was shot 3 times in her home on New Year’s Eve. She is in the hospital recovering. And more than the pain she’s feeling, she is furious such a thing could happen! At this time we believe this was the result of a botched burglary.
“Our family is grateful for the outpouring of thoughts and prayers from the community. We ask for privacy as she continues to heal.”
A spokesperson for Sentara Health confirmed Boone was being treated at a local hospital and was in a stable condition. Police have not publicly confirmed the number of times Boone was shot.
There was still visible damage caused by the attack at her Ocean View home days after the shooting.
A sliding glass door and a side window leading to Boone’s bedroom were boarded up, with neighbors saying bullets appeared to have been fired from outside the house.
Boone’s friend, Jonathan Lyna, told 13NewsNow that he could not understand why anyone would come after the popular realtor.
He said, “It’s heartbreaking, you know, she’s really helped Ocean View in a big, big way. Norfolk. It always happens to good people, you know, and she has no reason to be shot, that’s for sure."
A neighbor told local media that Boone was shot while inside her home by someone outside, although police have yet to confirm that account.
Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi said the incident did not appear to pose a broader public safety risk.
“I can tell you that there is no threat to anybody else in the neighborhood,” Fatehi told WAVY-TV on Friday.
“It did not appear to be a random offense, but beyond that, for both the integrity of the investigation and out of respect for the rights of anybody ultimately charged, I can’t tell you more.”
Police scanner traffic from shortly before midnight on December 31 captured a dispatcher stating that Boone herself had called to report that she had been shot.
Investigators have not said whether the shooting was targeted or accidental, and no suspects have been identified. The investigation remains ongoing.
