Quiet Evening Erupts in Gunfire Leaving 3 Dead and Dozens Traumatized

An apparent domestic dispute interrupted a quiet evening in Norfolk, Virginia when gunfire killed three women, injured two, and left dozens traumatized. Neighbors in the Young Terrace community gathered after work to chat and supervise playing children when a young man shot his girlfriend’s parents.

Shortly after Nicole Lovewine, 45, and her partner, Detra Brown, 42, joined their neighbors, the couple’s 19-year-old pregnant daughter and her boyfriend arrived. As their car pulled up, the young woman quickly jumped. The boyfriend exited from the front passenger’s side; he quickly started shooting.

After striking the young woman in the shoulder, her parents rushed toward her when more gunfire occurred. These bullets hit and killed Lovewine and Brown.

By the time the gunfire ended, 44-year-old Sa’idah Costine was also dead. In addition to wounding his girlfriend, the suspect also injured an unnamed 39-year-old woman. The shooting survivors were transported to a local hospital; they are expected to recover.

“A 71-year-old resident who’s lived in the neighborhood for decades said he heard two or three shots. When he went outside, he saw kids and other people running toward the source of gunfire. Then he heard more shots,” reports The Virginian Pilot.

Another neighbor told reporters that “Lovewine’s young son ran over to his mother’s body after she was shot and begged her to get up.”

The police responded to gunfire reports at about 6 p.m. EDT. The suspect, Ziontay Brian Ricardo Palmer, 19, of Virginia Beach was apprehended about four hours later.

The accused was charged with three counts of second-degree murder, two counts of malicious wounding, and several firearm charges. Palmer was arraigned in Norfolk General District Court. The judge ordered him to be held without bond.

Written by Cathy Milne-Ware

Sources:

Advocate: Lesbian Couple Shot Point-Blank Protecting Pregnant Daughter; by Alex Cooper
The Virginian Pilot: About a dozen children were playing outside, some jumping on a trampoline. That’s when the shooting started. By Jane Harper and Ali Sullivan
The Virginian Pilot: 3 women dead, 2 injured in ‘possible domestic-related’ shooting in Norfolk, police say; by Sierra Jenkins, Ali Sullivan, and Jane Harper
WAVY 10: Leaders rally around Norfolk neighborhood after mass shooting; by Madison Pearman

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Inset Image Courtesy of Dave Conner’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License