CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — “Okay.”
That’s the word that prosecutors said made Tonagee Ravenel, one of the three suspects charged in a deadly 2019 shooting in Chesapeake, guilty of first-degree murder in the shooting death of 30-year-old Stephanie Brainerd.
On Wednesday, a jury found Ravenel guilty of that first degree murder charge, as well as charges of robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, and the use of firearm in a felony. The shooting happened on March 14, 2019, but the case has faced delays due to the pandemic.
Prosecutors said that just before Brainerd was shot and killed, Ravenel and his friend, Antonio Britton, had a brief conversation. That conversation consisted of Britton saying “we’re gonna rob these [expletives].” To which Ravenel replied, “Okay.”
Ravenel is one of three people charged in the case. Antonio Britton and Semiya Davidson are also charged with first-degree murder, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in connection to the incident. Ravenel was the first to go to trial.
Stephanie Brainerd was delivering pizza for Chanello’s, providing for her two children, when she was gunned down in her car. All three suspects were 20 years old and below at the time of the crime. Ravenel was 19 years old.
On the first day of the trial Monday, prosecutors argued that the robbery of the delivery driver was premeditated. They say Britton shot Brainerd 6 times while Ravenel took the food out of her delivery car. They also say Davidson was the one who called in the order to Chanello’s and led Chesapeake Police on a chase into Portsmouth.
The incident began when an officer heard gunshots near the Marina Point Apartments. As officers responded to the apartments, they saw a vehicle leaving the complex prompting a police pursuit.
At one point, police say the car slowed down and one of the suspects, Britton, fled the vehicle and ran. He was shortly apprehended.
Police say Davidson drove the vehicle, ignoring officers’ calls to stop multiple times until she finally did stop at a 7-Eleven off of Airline Boulevard. Ravenel was also inside the vehicle.
In the SUV, officers found Davidson’s eight-month-old child, a gun in the child’s diaper bag, a gun magazine on the floor, shell casings, and a pizza delivery bag.
This is breaking news and will be updated.
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