Shooting death of 13-year-old Newport News boy ends deadly holiday weekend [Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)]

May 29--Two teens were killed and five injured in a pair of deadly shootings on the Peninsula during Memorial Day weekend.

The death of a 13-year-old Lutrell Kittles punctuated the violent holiday weekend when he was gunned down Monday night in a shooting that began in front of a Newport News convenience store.

Officers found Kittles at 25th Street and Oak Avenue at about 10:55 p.m. suffering from a single gunshot wound to the upper body, said Harold Eley, a spokesman for the Newport News Police Department, in a news release. Paramedics transported the Newport News teen to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11:43 p.m., the release said.

Kittles is the city's eighth homicide victim this year, according to Daily Press crime statistics.

Twenty-eight teens have been killed in Newport News and Hampton since 2008, according to police records. The two teens killed in Newport News this year brings the total to 18 teen deaths in the past six years in the city, according to police records. In Hampton, 10 teens have been shot to death since 2008, according to police data. The total includes the death of 16-year-old Ralphael Davis Jr., who was fatally shot Saturday night near the Hampton Coliseum spring carnival.

Twelve teens have been charged in connection with homicides in Hampton in the past six years, including the 15-year-old and 17-year-old charged in Davis' death. Eighteen teens have been charged in connection to homicide cases in Newport News since 2008.

Tragic holiday weekend

Family and friends gathered Tuesday outside of Kittles' home in the 1200 block of 22nd Street but declined to be interviewed by the Daily Press.

Police have determined that Kittles -- an eighth grader at Huntington Middle School -- was shot during an incident at the Quick Save Mini Mart at 2610 Chestnut Ave., Eley said.

Kittles was one of two people involved in a shooting at the convenience store Monday. Officers responded a shooting there at 10:59 p.m., and police found a 17-year-old Newport News boy suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to his upper and lower body. He was taken to a local hospital where he was listed in serious condition.

Eley said investigators believe the 17-year-old was also shot at the store. Police believe the shootings are related. As of Tuesday afternoon, police hadn't made any arrests in the shooting or released any suspect information.

The area where the shooting took place is known among police as a hot spot -- or a high-crime area -- said Newport News police spokesman Lou Thurston.

Police plan to focus more attention there with techniques used in other hot spots all over the city, including an increased police force -- both with uniformed officers in marked police cars, as well as plain-clothes officers, Thurston said.

"They may not see (everything) we're doing," Thurston said.

Carnival shooting

Monday's night's shooting occurred hours after hundreds gathered in a parking lot at the Hampton Coliseum to remember Davis. The teen was one of five people shot Saturday night during an argument in the area. Emergency responders found Davis, of Hampton, suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper torso shortly after 11 p.m. He was lying in the road in the 1900 block of Coliseum Drive when paramedics arrived.

Davis was transported to a local hospital and pronounced dead at 11:14 p.m.

"Obviously, it's devastating to lost a loved one," Davis' aunt Dawn Moses said Tuesday. "To lose one at such a young age takes a little more out of us, especially the way he went."

Moses said her nephew, who she considered almost a son, was a "vibrant young man" who loved basketball and had many friends.

Moses plans to reach out to local groups aiming to curb teen violence to address issues among youth and build community, saying something must be done before the violence escalates.

"Everything is just running rampant. It's chaotic," Moses said. "It's outrageous."

Davis' funeral will take place at New Life Church, 1525 Power Plant Parkway, in Hampton on Monday at noon, Moses said.

A 14-year-old male was shot in the back, Hampton police said. An 18-year-old male from Hampton and a 17-year-old male from Newport News both suffered gunshot wounds to their legs. A 16-year-old female from Newport News suffered a gunshot wound to her ankle.

The four other victims were found in parking lots of nearby hotels, according to police.

Organizers canceled the carnival. The event was scheduled to continue through June 2.

In response to the shooting, Hampton officials are hosting a meeting Saturday to allow residents to discuss the issue and hear from city leaders. It will take place at the Y.H. Thomas Youth Center, 1300 Thomas St., from noon-1:30 p.m.

Community reaction

Community leaders expressed outrage over the string gun violence that took the lives of two teens over the holiday weekend.

"It was devastating and so sad to see such senseless violence," said Andrew Shannon, peninsula chapter president and state vice president of the Southern Christian Leadership Council. "The 13-year-old had his whole life ahead of him and it was cut down by gun violence. Folks don't understand the consequences of their actions."

Residents who live on 26th Street, a block away from the convenience store where Monday night's shootings occurred, said they weren't surprised by the violence that took place near their homes.

"People walk around out here with guns and bulletproof vests," said Deborah Livsey, who lives on the street.

Edward Grogan, who also lives on the street, said it is common to hear gunshots from his home.

"When I hear gunshots I grab her (Deborah) and hit the floor," Grogran said.

Despite gunfire being a common occurrence on the street, Wanda Whitlow, who has lived on the street for more than four years, said Monday night's shooting was more frightening than usual. She said she heard dozens of gunshots outside her door and found herself once again being concerned for her children's safety.

"Me and my husband have been worried about getting life insurance polices for ourselves," Whitlow said. "Now we have to worry about getting it for our children."

Whitlow believes drugs and gang activity are fueling the violence.

"It's a war going on with the 21st and 22nd Street and with the Chestnut Avenue boys," she said. "They've been shooting out here in broad daylight."

She said police need to do more.

"Police can't control the situation," Whitlow said.

Kamau Williams, who grew up in the Southeast section of the city, said the community will have to come together to rid itself of violence.

"The community has to want to take its streets back," Williams said. "You can only hold city leaders accountable for so much."

Until the violence improves, Demanto Williams is concerned about the youth.

"These kids out here don't have a chance," he said.

Staff writer Andrea Castillo contributed to this story.

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