Teens charged in woman's shooting death

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) - Newport News Police have arrested a 15-year-old and 16-year-old in connection to the death of a mother shielding her children from gunfire on Jan. 5.

Holly McPherson with the Newport News Police Department said the male teens have been charged with murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a juvenile.

Officers responded to the Marshall Courts Apartments in the 800 block of 35th Street around 7 p.m. for a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, they found 27-year-old Phyllis Vinston suffering from a gunshot wound. She died at the scene.

Further investigation revealed the teens, whose identities have not been released due to their ages, were responsible for the shooting, McPherson said. Officers arrested the 16-year-old suspect Thursday morning at an apartment on J. Clyde Morris Boulevard.

Just after 2 a.m. Sunday, officers were dispatched to the 2200 block of Madison Avenue at the Walker Village Apartments for a report of shots fired. Officers arrived on scene and detained several people, one of which was the 15-year-old suspect wanted for Vinston's homicide. 

"Detectives still are unable to say for certain if the victim was the intended target of the shooting," McPherson said in a release.

A funeral service was held for Vinston Monday at Zion Baptist Church in Newport News' East End. 

"I'd like to say that I love my mom," said Vinston's son Tyveon at the funeral. 

Her friends remembered the last conversations they had with Vinston.

"Thirty minutes before it happened, she called asking for a blow dryer," Vinston's sister Pauletta said. "The last thing we did was take a picture on Christmas. She was so happy."

"I just want the violence to stop. Children are walking around with these guns and it's sad," Pamela Vinston said. 

Both of the suspects are being held in juvenile detention.