(NEW YORK) — A manhunt for the suspect in a Virginia freeway shooting that left a 20-year-old driver dead and his passenger injured intensified on Tuesday when state police asked for the public’s help and released photos of the alleged gunman and his vehicle.
The suspect was identified as 19-year-old Jason Allen Glidewell, who the Virginia State Police said should be considered armed and dangerous.
The shooting unfolded Thursday afternoon on Interstate 85 in Mecklenburg County, about five miles from the Virginia-North Carolina border, according to a statement from the state police.
A motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
The victim killed in the freeway shooting was identified by state police as 20-year-old Hunter A. Bates, of Colonial Heights, Virginia.
Bates was driving northbound on Interstate 85 when he was shot around 3:47 p.m., according to the state police. Bates’ car swerved off the freeway and came to a rest in a culvert, police said.
Bates was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. His passenger, a woman whose name was not released, was taken to a local hospital, treated and released, police said.
“State Police are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to please contact the Virginia State Police Division 3,” according to the state police statement.
Authorities on Tuesday released a photo of Glidewell, who is believed to have ties to the Richmond and Henrico, Virginia, area.
“On August 28, 2025, Hunter’s life was cut short by a senseless act of violence that has left our hearts broken. As we come to terms with this unimaginable loss, we are reminded of how precious and fragile life is,” Bates’ family said of Hunter Bates in an obituary published by the Owen Funeral Home in Jarratt, Virginia.
ABC News’ Benjamin Stein contributed to this report.
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