PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Portsmouth police investigators believe 40-year-old Antwann Gore is behind the fatal shooting of four people inside a home at the corner of Maple Avenue and Randolf Street earlier this year.
Sandra Godwin lives in the area and says she remembers what happened on June 7.
“I was leaving and heading down the street and that’s when I saw all of the police vehicles and then I found out from one of my neighbors who was walking back up what had happened. It’s very distressing, of course,” she said.
Gore is charged with four counts of aggravated homicide. Officers are still searching for him.
Doll Smith said she knows one of the victims, 34-year-old Ashley Merricks. Smith said she hopes Gore’s arrest will bring closure.
“It is a sad tragedy because I lost a friend,” Smith said. “My mom got killed and no one found her killer so I just hope [Merricks'] family gets justice out of it.”
Court documents say a woman who lived in the home overheard what happened. The documents say she was in the room and heard someone knock on the front door. She said she heard Merricks answer and then start screaming.
The survivor said she heard a man's voice demanding to know "where 'Lil Baby' was.”
The gunman shot four people inside the house. Merricks, 30-year-old Georgio Lee, and 37-year-old Oleisha Mears died at the scene. 66-year-old Samuel Jones later died at the hospital.
Godwin said she believes the COVID pandemic is contributing to the rising crime across Hampton Roads.
“I attribute a lot of this to what has happened during the pandemic,” Godwin said. “And it seems we became so much more insular and people who were living on the edges just tipped over.”
Police say if you know where Antwan Gore is, you’re asked to call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
In the initial stages of the investigation, Portsmouth detectives searched for a possible 2011 black GMC Acadia that witnesses saw leaving the area after the shooting. On Monday, investigators said police officers recovered that car but they could not say how it's related to this case.