VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Two brothers facing first-degree murder charges for killing a woman at a Virginia Beach gas station appeared in court on Thursday.
A judge ruled Darrius White and Michael White's cases are moving forward. The prosecutors called witnesses who shared more details about what led up to the shooting on December 13, 2021.
The victim was 65-year-old Annie Smith. In court Thursday, Annie’s husband, Steven Smith, told the judge the shooter never gave his wife a chance.
He said he and Annie pulled up to a gas pump at the Harris Teeter gas station off Haygood Road and Independence Boulevard around 5 p.m.
Virginia Beach investigators said two brothers, 29-year-old Michael White and 22-year-old Darrius White, pulled up next to the couple.
While Steven tried to pay for the gas, he said a masked man put a gun to his head and said, “Give me everything you got”. Steven said he handed over his wallet.
Prosecutors showed surveillance video of the entire incident in court, which only lasted about one minute.
Steven said another man came to the car with a gun and told him to get out. Steven said that man reached into the car through the driver’s side door and shot his wife Annie.
The investigator who interviewed the White brothers about the shooting said Michael admitted he had a gun and asked Steven for money.
The second brother, Darrius told investigators Michael came back to their car and told him the woman, referring to Annie in the passenger seat, had a gun.
According to the investigator, Darius said he snapped because no one is going to pull a gun on his brother and said, “She was about to fire, I had a gun on me. Before she had a chance to fire on me, I fire on her.”
Darrius admitted to shooting Annie multiple times, killing her.
Steven testified he had a gun nestled between the passenger seat and driver’s console.
He said he ran over to Annie as the suspects fled. He said he called her name repeatedly, but she did not respond.
Both Michael and Darrius White face first-degree murder, robbery, and gun charges.
They are scheduled back in court on October 3.
Virginia Beach investigators said Michael and Darrius White tried getting money from a woman at a 7-Eleven nearby, before the shooting at the Harris Teeter gas station.