A Virginia man has been charged in a March shooting that killed a newspaper reporter and two other young bystanders when a fight broke out at closing time outside a Norfolk bar, police announced Wednesday.
One of the victims was Sierra Jenkins, 25, of Norfolk, a reporter for the region's daily newspaper, The Virginian-Pilot. The March 19 shooting also claimed the lives of Devon M. Harris, 25, and Marquel S. Andrews, 24, both of Portsmouth.
Antoine M. Legrande Jr., 24, was charged with three counts of second-degree murder and related charges on Tuesday, Norfolk police said in a statement.
Legrande was arrested in Norfolk with the help of U.S. Marshals and the city police department's special operations team, the statement said. Police said Legrande had a gun when he was arrested and that he is being held without bond. It's unclear if Legrande has hired an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
“Today’s announcement is an important first step in providing justice for the families of these three innocent victims,” Norfolk City Manager Chip Filer said in a statement.
Police Chief Michael Goldsmith noted that Legrande's arrest came after a lengthy investigation that included following up on tips from the community.
The shooting happened just before 2 a.m. Police had said an argument that preceded the shooting may have started over a spilled drink. But Jenkins' father, Maurice Jenkins, told the Pilot on Wednesday that he still has questions about the motive.
“I don’t believe that’s really what this is about,” Jenkins said. “I won’t be surprised if we start hearing that there’s a lot more to what caused this to happen."
Jenkins said he was heartened by the arrest.
“For our family, going through what we’re going through — two months without knowing who’s behind something like this is — it’s eating us up,” he told the Pilot.
