By Olivia Anderson | oanderson@alextimes.com
This article has been updated to include newly received information.
The Alexandria Police Department has made three arrests in connection to a shooting that occurred Sunday afternoon in the West End, according to a news release.
At approximately 3:20 p.m. APD received a shots fired report in the 7-Eleven store at 30 S. Reynolds Street. According to police, two suspects exited the store, retrieved a firearm from their car and proceeded to fire shots at the occupants in another nearby car. APD confirmed that the suspects fled the scene in a Red Charger and were later apprehended by patrol officers, according to the release.
A 26-year-old female bystander was shot in the process, and is currently in stable condition with life-threatening injuries.
The arrested suspects include Alexandria residents Maurice Turner, 18, and Donovan Copeland, 20, and Fairfax County resident Damonte Martin, 21. All were charged with malicious wounding by mob, use of firearm in the commission of a felony, concealed weapon, shooting missiles into an occupied vehicle and unlawful discharge of a firearm.
According to court records, two of the suspects had existing criminal histories prior to the Sunday shooting. Turner was arrested in November 2020 for unlawfully concealing a weapon and pleaded guilty in December 2020. He was arrested again in June for conspiracy of firearm larceny and petty larceny. The Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office dropped both charges last month.
Martin was arrested in September 2020 for felony receipt of stolen goods and eluding/disregarding police. The first charge was dropped. Martin pleaded guilty in January 2020 to a misdemeanor on the second charge and was sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation.
APD Public Information Officer Marcel Bassett said the investigation is still active.
“We are doing our due diligence to ensure the victim receives justice for this crime, so we are asking anyone with information surrounding this incident to please reach out,” Bassett said.
Those with information may contact APD Detective Stephen Riley at (703) 746-6225 or Stephen.Riley@Alexandriava.gov.
-oanderson@alextimes.com
