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Man sentenced to life plus 99 years in prison for Virginia Beach robbery, shooting

Posted at 6:21 PM, Feb 16, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-16 18:21:35-05

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – A Suffolk man was sentenced Friday to life plus 99 years in prison for his involvement in a robbery and shooting that killed his friend and injured a French exchange student in Virginia Beach in 2016.

Garry Ta’Sheen Hamlin

27-year-old Garry Ta’Sheen Hamlin was found guilty of First Degree Murder, Robbery, Attempted Robbery, Malicious Wounding, Armed Burglary, Conspiracy, Wearing a Mask and four counts of Use of a Firearm after a five-day jury trial.

Evidence proved that in the early morning hours of August 7, 2016, Hamlin, Deandre Womack and Michael Scott entered a home on 22nd Street on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront with the intention of committing a home invasion robbery.

Two French exchange students were at home during the time of the incident. Hamlin, Womack and Scott held the students at gunpoint and demanded their property. Hamlin fired a gun and inadvertently struck Scott in the head, killing him. When Scott collapsed, he landed on an exchange student who was struck by the same bullet.

Womack and Hamlin fled the scene. The exchange student survived the shooting but has a permanent scar.

An officer on bike patrol noticed Hamlin running from the home and pursued him on foot. Hamlin threw several items, including one of the exchange students’ wallets and a .40 caliber pistol that had Scott’s blood on it. Hamlin was apprehended a short distance away from the scene.

Hamlin has prior convictions for Possession with Intent to Distribute – three counts of Marijuana, Credit Card Larceny, three counts of Credit Card Fraud, Possession of Marijuana, Petit Larceny, Destroy Property, Tampering with a Vehicle, Assault and Battery,  Brandishing a Firearm,Prohibited Criminal Street Gang Participation and multiple probation violations.

Womack was given a suspended sentence of 50 years in prison in September 2017.

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