18-year-old charged in deadly Suffolk shooting

SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A man is in custody facing charges in connection with a shooting that left one man dead Wednesday morning in Suffolk.

According to police, they received calls for shots fired just after midnight in the 2200 block of East Washington Street.

When officers arrived on scene, they located a man who was shot. He was pronounced deceased at the scene and later identified as 31-year-old Rufus Lindell Artis, of Windsor.

Another man transported himself to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries, where he was treated and released. That man was identified as the suspect in this case.

Police confirmed they arrested 18-year-old Maleek Sailun Meyers, of Franklin. He’s facing charges of second degree murder, conspiracy to commit a felony, assault: shoot, stab, etc. in commission of a felony, discharge a firearm in or around a school and use or discharge a firearm in commission of a felony.

The motive and circumstances behind the shooting are still under investigation, but police say the shooting is possibly linked to a shooting on Tuesday, April 26 at the complex that left a juvenile male hurt. Several vehicles and an apartment were also hit by bullets, police say.

Philp Burns has lived at the Hoffler Apartments since 2018. He called 911 around midnight while hearing about 10 gunshots, and said he plans to speak with Suffolk City Council to try to have police at the complex every night.

The Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority operates Hoffler Apartments, and we have learned there is surveillance video that could be helpful to the police.

In the early morning Wednesday, there were at least 13 evidence markers found inside a single parking space at the complex.

The shooting Wednesday morning didn’t happen far from there.

Philip Burns was out smoking a cigarette when the shooting began.

“I heard gunfire farther down the building when I called 911 which was jammed up with other calls. Then the second group of shots were fired,” Burns said.

One resident, who got emotional during our interview and didn’t want to give her name, was friends with Artis, who she knew as “Skoo Grazy.”

“He was a good guy. I’m crying because he is a neighborhood friend. A lot of people were very fond of him,” she said.

Multiple people at the apartments had nothing to say, and claimed they saw nothing.

Police came out throughout the day gathering any information they could get.

Also out at the apartment complex was Tracey Snipes, the executive director of the Suffolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority that operates the property. She said what happened was picked up on surveillance video.

“The surveillance video was useful, yes, it was… Police will get a lot of information on the incident that happened, but I’m not going into any specifics on that,” she said.

Resident Pamela Wilson is worried every time she hears gunfire.

“I don’t get up. If somebody is out here shooting somebody. I don’t get up because them bullets don’t have a name on them, so I just stay put,” Wilson said.

Snipes responds to that: “It is extremely sad, and it is against everything we stand for at the housing authority because we want this to be a safe place to live.”

“I think they need a resource officer. Most public housing properties have a resource officer, and I think they need one out here between 6 p.m. and 6 am.,” Burns said.

Burns said he would mention that at the Suffolk City Council meeting.

Snipes doesn’t think it is necessary but added the apartments already pay for additional coverage from the police department. However, if they’ll give additional coverage, Snipes said they’d “absolutely” accept that.