THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 19, 1994 TAG: 9408190633
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON FRANK AND STEVE STONE, STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
Three people - including a 5-year-old boy - were shot Thursday as an unknown number of gunmen exchanged fire at two different locations.
A witness said the boy, who was shot while riding a bike in front of his grandmother's home, was not merely caught in the cross-fire - rather, a gunman in a car took aim at him.
The boy was flown to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital by the Nightingale helicopter ambulance and was transferred to Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters. He was reported in critical condition late Thursday after undergoing surgery.
Police issued warrants for the arrest of a 20-year-old man and said others are being sought in connection with the shootings.
``We're going to be working through the night trying to close this thing up,'' said Bill Roth, a police spokesman. He declined to speculate on the motive for the shootings.
Roth said David Edward Hitchcock of the 800 block of 18th St. is wanted on two counts of maiming and two counts of using a firearm while committing a felony.
Police also are looking for a red or burgundy 1990 four-door Acura with Virginia license plates 596-660.
The shooting began about 3:50 p.m. in the 900 block of 20th St. when what witnesses described as a burgundy car pulled up in front of Margaret Horne's home.
Horne, 58, who is disabled, was in bed at the time. But she said the house was filled with friends of her 16- and 18-year-old grandsons. Her 5-year-old grandson, Andre Grady, who is visiting for the summer, was playing outside.
Horne said her 16-year-old grandson had argued with a man earlier Thursday. She said the man had threatened her grandson and warned that ``he was going to shoot the house up. But nobody took him seriously.''
Suddenly, shots rang out.
Eyewitness Monique Watson, 24, who lives next door in the 900 block of 20th St., said a car pulled up and a person in it started shooting. The car then drove off, and residents rushed outside to grab children from the street.
Andre Grady did not move, however. He had been hit and was left bleeding near his bicycle. Before anyone could get to him, the car returned and its occupants opened up with a second volley of gunfire.
Police said people in the house returned fire.
When the car again left, Watson joined others rushing to the boy. She put a blanket over him and stayed with him until paramedics and police arrived. She said another youth who was also playing outside at the time said the gunman in the car had aimed at the young boy.
Inside Horne's home, William Askins, 20, of the 3200 block of Madison Ave., had been hit by one shot. He was taken to Riverside Regional Medical Center, where he was treated for a gunshot wound to his foot and released.
Ten to 20 minutes later, not far away in the 900 block of 15th St., ``two vehicles pulled up near each other, the subjects got out and they had another gun battle,'' Roth said.
One of the cars matched the description of the vehicle from the earlier shooting, police said.
Roth said a bystander, Malcholm Vega, 32, was struck in the elbow and leg during the second exchange of fire. He was treated at Riverside and released.
KEYWORDS: SHOOTING ASSAULT INJURIES by CNB