NORFOLK, Va. — It's been just over two years since five women were shot, three killed and two injured, in Norfolk's Young Terrace neighborhood. The jury trial of defendant Ziontay Palmer began Tuesday.
Prosecutors said Palmer, then 19, opened fire in the neighborhood on November 3, 2021 around 6pm before fleeing the area.
Palmer's girlfriend Angel Legrande, who family said was pregnant with the couple's child at the time, and bystander Shazelle Dixon were injured in the shooting. Legrande's mother Nicole Lovewine, Lovewine's partner Detra Brown, and another neighbor, Sarah Constine, were killed.
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On the first day of trial, prosecutors showed the jury roughly a dozen 911 calls, the body camera footage of the first police officer on scene and Ring doorbell camera footage. A crowed courtroom full of the victim's loved ones as well as the defendant's family watched, some leaving the room periodically due to the emotional content of the evidence.
The evidence showed the scene erupting in "chaos, sadness, and utter dismay," according to deputy commonwealth attorney Cynthia Collard's opening statements.
The 911 callers described those injured and a hoodie-wearing shooter arriving in a black car and later fleeing on foot. The final 911 call played was from the out-of-state parent of one of the victims who was concerned for his daughter and his grandchildren after learning of a shooting in the area.
Watch previous coverage: Young Terrace mass shooting suspect declared mentally competent, headed to jury trial
The body camera footage from the first police officer on scene showed the officer arrive on scene alone without medical equipment, unsure of what he was walking into. The video shows him locate the victims who were surrounded by dozens of bystanders, including children, and shows paramedics and other officers arrive minutes later.
The neighbor who provided investigators with the Ring doorbell camera footage testified she recognized Palmer after she watched the video back.
Meanwhile, defense attorney Eric Korslund told the jury this case is one of shoddy police work and mistaken identity. He said the case is horrific, but Palmer wasn't the shooter.
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He said Palmer had no motive and there's no "scientific evidence" linking him to the crimes. And, Korslund added, while we won't know who the shooter is at the end of the case, it's not his client.
Attorneys will continue to call witnesses in the case. The jury expects to hear from surviving victims and others on scene in 2021, including a then 13-year-old child who watched his mother die. Palmer's parents may also be called to testify.
The trial is scheduled to last through Friday.
