MARTINSBURG, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A 56-year-old Martinsburg man is facing multiple felony charges after allegedly firing shots into a home following a family cookout, according to the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded around 7:55 p.m. on Sunday, June 29, 2025, to the area of Williamsport Pike and Bedington Road for a reported verbal domestic altercation.
Authorities said the incident stemmed from a family gathering where Richard Larsen became extremely intoxicated.
During the cookout, a family member took away Larsen’s car keys and a firearm he had with him, which reportedly made him irate.
After the gathering dispersed, several family members received threatening text messages from Larsen, stating he was coming to their home to “shoot and kill everyone,” officials said.
Deputies were soon notified that Larsen was en route to his brother’s residence.
Larsen allegedly arrived at a home on Singleton Way and fired multiple shots into the residence before fleeing the scene. Seven people were inside the home at the time, but no injuries were reported.
Deputies and West Virginia State Police located Larsen’s vehicle off Hedgesville Road shortly after the incident. Evidence recovered at the scene led to Larsen’s arrest.
He is charged with attempted murder, six counts of wanton endangerment, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person (drug user).
Larsen was taken to the Eastern Regional Jail and is being held on a cash-only bond of $140,000.
