CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- Chesterfield Police have arrested and charged a Hopewell teenager with murder in connection to a shooting at a graduation party in Chester.
Andre L. Coleman, 18, was charged with second-degree murder, attempted malicious wounding, and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, according to Chesterfield Police.
Coleman was arrested Thursday in Richmond, police said.
Police previously identified the shooting victim as 20-year-old Taborri Carter, of Chesterfield County.
"We are fervently committed to protecting our community and we will expend all necessary resources to obtain justice for those harmed by bad actors," Chesterfield Police Chief Col. Jeffrey Katz said in an emailed statement about the arrest.
The woman who owns the house where the party took place was home at the time of the shooting but was not supervising the party.
Her grandson was the party's host, police said.
While there were people over age 18 at the party, none was supervising the party.
Police responded to the shooting at the home along the 10900 block of Stepney Road at about 10:21 p.m. on Friday. June 3.
"During the course of the investigation, police determined a total of six people were shot and two others suffered non-firearm related injuries," a Chesterfield Police spokesperson wrote in an email. "At this point, the investigation indicates more than 50 shots were fired at the scene."
On the night of the shooting, Chesterfield Police received more than 60 calls for service throughout the county during the two-hour window leading up to the shooting. Those calls for service were reasons why Chesterfield Police did not respond earlier to five calls from neighbors who reported noise violations stemming from the party.
Dr. William Pelfrey, a criminal justice and homeland security professor at VCU, said Chesterfield Police responded appropriately given the situation at hand.
"After reviewing the timeline provided by the Chesterfield County Police, all five calls for service necessitating police presence represented higher priorities than the calls regarding the party," Pelfrey said. "While a rowdy group of juveniles certainly warrants police attention, such calls rarely result in violence and even more rarely lead to death. The other calls all represented potential violent or deadly threats, or serial offenders."
The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing. Anyone with information was asked to call Chesterfield Police at 804-748-1251.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
