NORFOLK, Va. — Friday marked the third day in the trial of a man accused of killing an Old Dominion University student in 2011.
On June 10, 2011, Norfolk police found 20-year-old Chris Cummings shot to death in his home near Old Dominion University.
Rashad Dooley faces several charges in Cummings’ death, and the shooting of his roommate, Jake Carey.
At the beginning of the trial date, Dooley's attorney motioned to exclude a witness from testifying. That witness is a current inmate at Norfolk City Jail on a separate conviction.
Attorney Eric Korslund told the judge he did not want to bring in the inmate because he did not have enough time to review his criminal records.
The judge gave Korslund time during the trial date to review the criminal record provided to him, but overruled his motion to exclude the witness entirely.
Later in the morning, the prosecution brought in an inmate from Norfolk City Jail to the witness stand. He told the court he knew Dooley from when they were both in Newport News City Jail years ago on different charges.
He testified Dooley asked him for advice regarding the Cummings case, saying he was concerned about what would happen.
The inmate said in the years between 2015 and 2017, Norfolk detectives called him in for questioning regarding the investigation. He said that's when he told them what Dooley said to him at the jail.
When the defense asked the inmate why he decided to tell investigators what Dooley told him years later, that's when bailiffs got word about a bomb threat to the courthouse, cutting the cross-examination short.
The building went into lockdown for more than two hours and no one was allowed to leave the courtroom. Security safely escorted everyone out.
About an hour later, Norfolk police cleared the scene and deemed the area safe again.
Court officials said they sent the jurors home for the day. All cases for Juvenile Domestic and Relations and General District Court were canceled for the day. Those cases, as well as the trial for Dooley, will resume on Monday.