HANOVER COUNTY, Va. — A second 18-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the investigation into a deadly shooting outside a Hanover County house party earlier this month.
Sgt. Steve Wills with the Hanover County Sheriff’s said Jayvian Marrece Threatt, of Petersburg, was arrested as a suspect in the attempted murder of James Rashawn Smith.
"The Hanover County Sheriff’s Office did not release the identity of Mr. Threatt or his potential involvement at the earlier stage to avoid jeopardizing the ongoing investigation," Wills wrote. "This strategic decision was necessary to gather sufficient evidence and ensure the accuracy of the investigative process. This case is still very much an active investigation."
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Authorities arrested the 18-year-old Smith, who is from Ashland, in the shooting death of 16-year-old Matthew Devine, who is from Colonial Heights.
Smith is charged with first-degree murder and multiple weapons charges stemming from the shooting that happened during a large house party off McClellan Road on April 6.
Deputies said the shooting came in the moments after an altercation during the party between Devine and Smith.
The party drew large groups of young people from all over metro-Richmond, deputies said.
New court documents reveal in greater detail what allegedly led up to the shooting.
A friend of Devine's at the party said the 16-year-old bumped into an unidentified male during the party, who then flashed a weapon, according to a search warrant in the case.
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Witnesses told investigators the unidentified male left the house, and Devine followed him to the driveway, the documents say.
Both teens were armed and fired their weapons, according to court documents.
Devine was shot in the chest and died on the scene, authorities wrote. The search warrant was carried out before Smith's arrest.
An affidavit attached to the search warrant shows investigators recovered cartridge casings from two different types of firearms from the scene.
"There’s two different types of guns that were fired here," CBS 6 legal analyst Todd Stone, who reviewed the search warrants, said. "There's a lot going on here and a lot to unpack for a prosecutor and a defense attorney. And so they're going to be processing not just this information, but also any videos that were shot, as well as autopsy results and forensics from the scene because that will help tell the whole story.”
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Stone cautioned that search warrants only contain limited amounts of evidence, but based on the narrative provided to investigators, he expected Smith's defense attorney will likely pursue a self-defense angle.
"With the entry wound in the front, the victim following the defendant out of the house, more than one firearm being fired: those are the types of factors that lend themselves really well to self defense claim," Stone said.
Smith is due back in court in June.
"We strongly believe in the integrity of the judicial system," Willis wrote Thursday in a news release. "To uphold the principles of justice and ensure a fair and impartial trial, it is imperative that detailed circumstances surround this case be presented under oath in a court of law, rather than in the public sphere."
We appreciate the community’s cooperation and understanding as we continue to pursue justice in this case."
Anyone with information related to this investigation is asked to contact Sgt. Thomas Claytor with the Hanover County Sheriff’s Office at 804-839-2854 or the Metro Richmond Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000. Citizens can also download the “P3 Tips” app for their mobile devices to submit their tips. Both Crime Stoppers methods are anonymous.
Depend on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for in-depth coverage of this important local story. Anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
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