PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Portsmouth Juvenile and Domestic Relations Judge Solomon Ashby came back with a not-guilty verdict for a woman charged in connection to the shooting that killed a 10-year-old boy on Farragut Street.
10 On Your Side’s Andy Fox said the courtroom was cleared on Monday to allow for two young children to testify in the adjudicatory hearing for 31-year-old Shawnday Ross, who was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
10 on Your Side addressed the court to allow reporters in the courtroom, but that was denied. Ashby also had suggested media would be able to be in the courtroom for his decision and the reading of the verdict, but he did not allow for that, either.
Ross, as she was leaving the courthouse after the decision was read, said before closing the door to her Uber that “I love my family, and you got to praise God.”
The police detective in charge of the case thinks his witnesses did not measure up enough, leading to the not-guilty verdict.
“We did what we could with the witnesses that we had,” said Detective R. Holley with Portsmouth Police. “Would we want to have more witnesses to come out? Yes.”
According to officials, 10-year-old Keontre Thornhill was hit by a stray bullet on April 25 while he was inside his home. The shooting is believed to have followed a fight among several girls on Farragut Street.
Police said Ross was charged in part because she was at the altercation and did not attempt to stop it.
In May, Portsmouth police said they are looking for 26-year-old Cleon Deonte Banks as a person of interest in the case.
Keontre Thornhill’s mother, Kavina Thornhill, was upset with the verdict.
“I just know this is why crimes keep happening,” Kavina Thornhill said. “This is why crimes keep happening that show street justice always takes place because of matters like this, that is all I got to say. …
“It is just ridiculous. They really need to do their job and hold people accountable. …
I think it went the wrong way when she got not guilty. When she brought those kids to the scene. That is it.”
Holley said that’s why Ross was charged.
“She said she did not know that they were going out there to fight,” Holley said. “I found that really hard to believe because she brought seven kids out there.”
10 On Your Side also asked Holley about a man still wanted for questioning in the case, Cleon Deonte Banks.
“We just want to talk with him,” Holley said. “We have no warrants for arrest, we just want to talk with him because he may know how all this whole thing started.”
What this hearing certainly showed is that there is still a lot of bad blood in the Cradock neighborhood where all this played out.
“We are frustrated, we are very frustrated,” Holley said. “We wish we could find that person months ago, but unfortunately no one is talking on the streets. They have gone quiet.”