Shooting Victim Dies; Police Seek NN Man on Murder Charge

By WYDaily Staff Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Tyshaun Lenard Thomas

The 31-year-old Newport News man wanted in Sunday morning's triple shooting in Williamsburg now faces a murder charge.

Police said Dontae Jamar Howard, a 23-year-old Yorktown man, was a bystander when he was shot in the head during the altercation in the 300 block of York Street. He was initially treated at Sentara Williamsburg, then transferred to Sentara Norfolk General for treatment of what police called a "serious head injury." Howard died Tuesday morning from injuries sustained in the shooting, police said.

Williamsburg Police Major Greg Riley said police are still searching for the alleged assailant, Tyshaun Lenard Thomas. He faces charges of murder, maiming and use of a firearm in commission of a felony.

Thomas resides in the 400 block of Savage Drive in Newport News.

Police responded to an emergency call in the area around 1:31 a.m. to find three people who had been injured in a shooting, which happened in front of a hotel.

Riley said all three victims and the alleged shooter had been guests a the same party prior to the shooting. One of the victims was trying to calm down the shooter outside in the 300 block of York Street when two other guests left the party and happened to be walking past. Shots were fired, hitting the three men. Two suffered minor wounds; Howard's wound proved fatal.

"We don't have a reason for the shooting at this time," Riley said. "We know one of our victims was trying to calm the shooter down just before the incident. The other two victims appear to be unrelated to whatever upset the shooter."

Anyone with information is asked to call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.