A 19-year-old Chantilly woman has been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the Jan. 1 shooting death of a Woodbridge man. She is Sheena Latoya Bailey of 4139 Chantilly Lace Court in the Chantilly Mews community.
ALSO ARRESTED was her boyfriend, Ira Anderson, 20, of Manassas. The tragedy occurred in Fredericksburg, and police there charged both Bailey and Anderson with murder, plus use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
The victim was Anthony King Jr., 27, and, according to Fredericksburg police spokesman Jim Shelhorse, "He was shot twice — once in the head and once in the arm." Shelhorse said Anderson was the alleged shooter and Bailey reportedly drove the getaway car.
Just before the tragedy, Fredericksburg police responded to Club Royale, a popular dance club there. A melee had erupted outside the club, shortly before 2 a.m., with approximately 100 people on the scene.
Shelhorse said some were brawling and others were brandishing weapons. Then, he said, as they left the area by car and on foot, some even fired shots toward police.
"I do not know what caused the fight," he said Friday. "But I'd venture to guess [it had something to do with] loud music, alcohol and guns. We've had a number of incidents at that particular club, over the past year. We're hoping to do something to get this place under control."
However, that's not where the fatality occurred. Instead, said Shelhorse, it took place in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven, about a block down the street from the club. Immediately after the brawl, he said, "The whole crowd disbursed to the 7-Eleven." There, the violence escalated after Bailey and Anderson arrived.
"They pulled up, words were exchanged, 'bang, bang' and they drove off," said Shelhorse. "They never got out of the car. The victim was standing at the passenger-side of the car."
AFTER THAT, police responded quickly to this location. "Most of the officers were already nearby at the club, breaking up the fight there," said Shelhorse. "So when the call came in for shots fired at the 7-Eleven, most of them left their cars and just ran over."
He didn't know what King did for a living, but said he had a girlfriend and a child. However, he wasn't sure whether detectives knew of any particular connection between King and his assailants or a motive for the murder. At first, the victim was taken to a hospital close by. He was then medivaced to Inova Fairfax Hospital, where he died that afternoon.
Shelhorse said Bailey was charged the same as Anderson because she was allegedly "privy to [the crime] and she drove him to and from the shooting. They left in a black SUV with Virginia tags, and we got her name and address from people at the scene."
Fredericksburg police then asked Fairfax County police to check out this information and, said Shelhorse, "They located the vehicle in her driveway. Then both of them came out of the house and got into the vehicle, and Fairfax police arrested them."
He said Anderson initially gave a false name to the police, but "Fairfax police were familiar with him because he had an outstanding warrant to appear in Fairfax County on a drug charge.
"WE BROUGHT her back here on Jan. 2, and him on Jan. 4," said Shelhorse. "He was arraigned here on Jan. 5." Anderson also has unfinished business in Fairfax County Circuit Court, where he must still answer to a charge of possession of marijuana from a Feb. 10, 2005 offense.
He was supposed to be in General District Court on Nov. 22, 2005 and, when he failed to appear, the judged issued a bench warrant for his arrest. He now has a new court date of Jan. 17. But whether he'll keep that date or stay in Fredericksburg's jurisdiction for the murder charge has yet to be decided.
Meanwhile, Bailey was arraigned in Fredericksburg on Jan. 3 and is currently being held without bond in the Rappahannock Regional Jail in Stafford County. She is slated for a Feb. 16 preliminary hearing in Fredericksburg General District Court.