Williamsburg Murder Suspect Caught in NC

By Sam Thrift Saturday, January 14, 2012

A 31-year-old Newport News man wanted for a Dec. 18 murder in Williamsburg was apprehended around 2 p.m. Friday in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area of North Carolina by the U.S. Marshals Service.

Tyshaun Lenard Thomas is charged with the murder of 23-year-old Dontae Jamar Howard of Yorktown. Police said Howard was a bystander when Thomas shot three people, including  Howard, during a altercation in the 300 block of York Street. He was treated at Sentara Norfolk General for what police called a "serious head injury." He died two days later.

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

Major Greg Riley of the Williamsburg Police said all three victims and the alleged shooter had been guests at 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.

Thomas resides in the 400 block of Savage Drive in Newport News. He faces maiming charges in addition to the homicide charge and is currently being held in the Mecklenburg County Jail.