Prince George Police: Teens' deaths have not ended investigation into mobile-home shooting
PRINCE GEORGE – County police say they think more people are involved in a shooting last month at a mobile home park that may have led to a car crash that killed three teenagers, and they are asking the public to help.
Two of the teens, an 18-year-old and a 17-year-old, were killed instantly in the April 23 crash. The third victim, a 16-year-old riding in the back seat, was taken to a Richmond hospital where he died several days later.
Officers responding to the shooting at Pine Ridge Park off state Route 156 encountered the vehicle with the three people speeding away from the park. As they gave chase, the officers saw the car overturn on Route 156 and strike several trees.
Two weapons were found in the wreckage, but police have not said if they have been linked to the shooting that damaged an occupied mobile home and an unoccupied car at Pine Ridge.
More: Teens killed in Prince George crash that followed a neighborhood shooting
Prince George Police spokesperson Officer Alexis Grochmal said in an email to The Progress-Index Tuesday that despite the deaths of the three teenagers, the investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Grochmal said investigators “are confident that there are involved person(s)” who have not been identified.
“These criminal and reckless behaviors within the community of Prince George are totally unacceptable,” Grochmal said in the email. “We ask anyone with information to be courageous, do the right thing, and contact us.”
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Detective Antonio Roane at (804) 863-1837, Prince George Police at (804) 733-2773 or Crime Solvers at (804) 733-2777.
School official: Hold off judgment
Two of the teens killed were students at Hopewell High School, 18-year-old Cortaz Cheatham and the unidentified 16-year-old. In a Facebook message last weekend, Hopewell school superintendent Dr. Melody Hackney encouraged the community to refrain from passing any kind of judgment until “we can rest in what we can trust is the truth.”
“I write on behalf of the individuals, many who work with me at all levels of our organization who need to cry, grieve, scream, forgive, mourn, sleep and understand ... without all the noise and speculation surrounding this horrible incident that has forever changed the lives of those who loved and served them,” Hackney said in the post. She said family members and friends of the students are reading the social-media comments, “all the while they are crying, hurting, making sense of the impossible reality that their babies, our babies too – are now gone from this earth.
“Please join me and all who loved these precious souls, God’s children ... in the respect they deserve during the difficult grieving process and days ahead,” Hackney added.
So far this school year, six students have been the victims of fatal accidents or fatal criminal activity.
Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on Twitter at @BAtkinson_PI.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Prince George says more people may be linked to mobile-hme shooting
