Man Sentenced to 3 ½ Years After Pleading Guilty to Shooting Into Car, Wounding Woman While Attempting to Wound Others in 2023
NORFOLK, Va. — Deandre Jacoby Lee, 20, was sentenced on Friday to serve three and a half years in prison following his guilty plea to four felony charges after Mr. Lee shot at a group of people inside a car as they drove away from him.
On Nov 12, Mr. Lee and his girlfriend were attending a party where Mr. Lee’s girlfriend got into an argument with another woman. The woman and four other people got into a car and started to drive away. Witnesses heard Mr. Lee’s girlfriend tell Mr. Lee to shoot at the car. Mr. Lee then did so, firing eight shots at the car. The bullets he fired entered the rear window and trunk of the car, and one bullet struck one of the other women in the group in her side and back. The driver of the car drove to the hospital, where doctors treated the wounded woman.
Norfolk Police officers found Mr. Lee at a nearby fast-food restaurant several hours later and arrested him. Investigators later served a search warrant at his home and recovered the gun Mr. Lee used as well as the clothes he was wearing when he committed the shooting.
Mr. Lee entered an agreement on June 3 to plead guilty to four felony charges: one count of malicious wounding, two counts of attempted malicious wounding, and one count of maliciously shooting into an occupied vehicle. The Commonwealth agreed to dismiss additional charges against Mr. Lee and seek a maximum active sentence of six years and six months (the high end of his advisory sentencing guidelines). Judge David W. Lannetti accepted Mr. Lee’s plea agreement.
Mr. Lee’s girlfriend was also initially charged following the Nov. 12 incident. Judge Lannetti dismissed the charges against her following the Commonwealth’s motion after Mr. Lee took responsibility for the shooting.
On Friday, Judge Lannetti sentenced Mr. Lee to serve three years and six months in prison and suspended another eight and a half years on the conditions that Mr. Lee be of uniform good behavior for five years, comply with supervised probation for an indefinite period during that time, and have no contact with the victims.
“There is no good reason to shoot at a car full of unarmed people,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Mr. Lee maliciously shot at the victims and wounded a woman who had nothing to do with him. We are fortunate that she lived, and we are glad she has recovered. Mr. Johnson must now serve his prison sentence for his dangerous conduct.”
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie G. Johnson prosecuted Mr. Lee’s case on behalf of the Commonwealth, and Norfolk Police Detective Andrew J. Jowdy led the investigation.
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June 4, 2024
Man Pleads Guilty to Malicious Wounding, Attempted Malicious Wounding After Shooting into Occupied Vehicle in 2023
NORFOLK, Va. — Deandre Jacoby Lee, 20, was convicted of one count of malicious wounding, two counts of attempted malicious wounding, and one count of maliciously shooting into an occupied vehicle after he pleaded guilty to those charges stemming from an incident last fall.
On Nov 12, Mr. Lee and his girlfriend had attended a party where Mr. Lee’s girlfriend got into an argument with a woman. The woman and four other people got into a car and started to drive away. Witnesses heard Mr. Lee’s girlfriend tell Mr. Lee to shoot at the car. Mr. Lee then did so, firing eight shots at the car. The bullets he fired entered the rear window and trunk of the car, and one bullet struck one of the other women in the group in her side and back. The driver of the car drove to the hospital, where doctors treated the wounded woman for injuries that were not life-threatening.
Norfolk Police officers found Mr. Lee at a nearby fast-food restaurant several hours later and arrested him. Investigators later served a search warrant at his home and recovered the gun Mr. Lee used as well as the clothes he wore during the shooting that matched his description as the suspect.
Mr. Lee entered a plea agreement on Monday pleading guilty to the four felony charges, with the Commonwealth agreeing to dismiss additional charges against him. Judge David W. Lannetti accepted Mr. Lee’s plea under the agreement that Mr. Lee could be sentenced to a period of incarceration not exceeding the high end of his advisory sentencing guidelines. Mr. Lee’s girlfriend was initially charged following this incident, and Judge Lannetti dismissed the charges against her following the Commonwealth’s motion after Mr. Lee took responsibility for the shooting on Monday. Mr. Lee is set to be sentenced on Aug. 30.
“No matter what the argument, gunfire is not the answer,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “We are fortunate that nobody died in this dangerous incident. Mr. Lee has accepted responsibility for his actions, which is the first step toward healing, but it does not undo what he has done. We will seek a sentence that balances his crimes with his efforts to make amends.”
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Stephanie G. Johnson is prosecuting Mr. Lee’s case on behalf of the Commonwealth, and Norfolk Police Detective Andrew J. Jowdy led the investigation.
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