In the late morning of January 14, 2016, a violent encounter in Newport News, Virginia, claimed the life of 38-year-old Cardré Antwoine Gray. Gray, a male, was fatally shot inside a gray minivan on Wickham Avenue. Another man, Quinton Antonio Kelly, also lost his life in the incident.
The events leading to the shooting began as an attempted robbery inside the vehicle. The driver of the minivan, in an attempt to escape, intentionally crashed it into a parked pickup truck.
What unfolded next was captured in a chilling video recorded by a private investigator who happened to be in the area on an unrelated case. The footage showed two men, one of whom was later identified as Laratio L. Dantzler, engaging in a robbery.
Following the crash, one of the suspects fled the scene. Dantzler, however, leaned into the van and opened fire, striking Gray three times in the head as he sat in the passenger seat and shooting Kelly ten times in the back of the van. An emotional 911 call from a witness captured the sound of the gunshots.
Responding police officers chased Dantzler and, after he refused to drop his weapon, shot him before taking him into custody. Dantzler was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of attempted robbery, and multiple firearm offenses. After a three-day trial, a jury found him guilty and recommended the maximum sentence. He received two life terms for the murders, an additional 65 years for the other charges, and a $300,000 fine. The second suspect, Stephen Hayes, turned himself in to the police in February 2016. While he initially faced the same charges as Dantzler, the murder charges against him were dropped because he had fled before the shooting occurred. Hayes was still charged with attempted robbery, abduction, and gun charges.
