Dominque Poindexter, a 22-year-old Black / African American man, died on the night of August 1, 2022, after being shot inside a home in Charleston, West Virginia. The incident, which police described as an accidental shooting, took place at a residence in the 500 block of Wyoming Street on the city’s West Side, where Poindexter was spending the evening with a friend.
According to investigators, Poindexter and his friend, Marcus Lee Linville, had been drinking alcohol and smoking
marijuana throughout the evening. The two began handling or “playing” with a firearm that both men reportedly believed was unloaded. Linville later told police that it was routine for them to point their firearms at each other and pretend to shoot. On this night, while Poindexter was in a recliner, Linville pointed the gun in his direction and pulled the trigger. The weapon discharged, striking Poindexter in the head.
Police were called to the scene around 10:30 p.m. Investigators said Linville immediately called 911 after the gun fired and attempted life-saving measures on his friend. When officers arrived, they found Poindexter with the fatal wound, and he was pronounced dead a short time later, around 10:45 p.m. Police noted that Linville was fully cooperative with the investigation from the beginning.
Linville, 23, was arrested and initially charged with wanton endangerment involving a firearm, a charge reflecting what police called the reckless handling of a weapon inside a home where Linville's mother was also present. He posted bond and was released. After the case was turned over to the Kanawha County Prosecutor’s Office, Linville was charged with involuntary manslaughter. In February 2023, he pleaded not guilty to the charge in Kanawha County, and a trial was scheduled for April 2023.
