UPDATE: Closing arguments: Trial of man accused of shooting infant, 4 others in Norfolk
A key witness testified Wednesday in the trial of the man accused of shooting and injuring five people including an infant more than two years ago.
MORE: Toddler disabled for life after being shot in Norfolk; Suspect trial begins
Kimahni Lankford, 22, faces multiple firearm and malicious wounding charges related to the case.
On the night of Aug. 25, 2020, one-month-old Honesty became one of the youngest victims of gun violence in Norfolk. Her name became a rallying cry for justice days after she was shot and left with devastating, permanent injuries.
Honesty’s grandmother, Arkeda Brehon, and mother Jakireya Brehon, both testified on the second day of the trial Wednesday.
Arkeda broke down in tears on the stand remembering that night, saying the shooting changed her granddaughter’s life forever. She said Honesty, who’s now two years old, will never be able to have children; she can only walk using one leg and has a learning disability. Honesty now wears a colostomy bag and has nerve damage to her eyes and the right side of her body.
Jakireya Brehon said her daughter weighed only two pounds when bullets went into her body.
“All her bones inside of her broke,” she said.
Honesty, her mother, and three men were shot outside Lexington Park Apartments in August 2020. Police said Lankford pulled the trigger.
Honesty’s uncle, Lavan Platte also took the stand Wednesday, as the prosecution’s eyewitness. He said he saw Lankford with an AK47-style assault rifle shooting into the group of people that night.
Platte said he knew him as G-Stacks and pointed to Lankford in the courtroom.
The defense argued it wasn’t until several months after the shooting when Honesty’s uncle came forward with that information, saying Platte was just naming Lankford as the suspect so he can get out of jail time for his probation violation.
The defense said Platte’s testimony is not credible because of his criminal past, which includes lying to police.
Lankford chose not to take the stand during his trial.
Closing arguments are set for Thursday at 10 a.m.
