Juvenile court decision upheld in Northampton Court

By Linda Cicoira

A juvenile court decision was upheld Tuesday in Northampton Circuit Court, clearing the way for a 15-year-old ninth-grader to be tried as an adult for indictments that accuse him of participating in a drive-by shooting in the Bayview area last summer when he was 14.

The incident involved vehicles and apartments being struck by gunfire and an unidentified young woman being hit in the foot during a party or barbeque between June 14 and 15, 2024.

“We have ‘contributing to the delinquency of a minor’ on the books for a reason,” argued defense lawyer Eric Korslund. He wanted his client, Massai Lamir Giddens, of Foresttown Drive in Norfolk, to be treated as a juvenile.

The others charged in the incident are 18 and 19 years old.

Those three had armed Giddens for the activity, Korslund said. At 14, the brain is not fully developed. “It’s common sense he should not be treated as an adult.” There is a reason one must be 18 to vote and 21 to drink alcohol, the defense lawyer continued.

A grand jury indicted Giddens last week on counts of malicious wounding, malicious shooting at an occupied vehicle, malicious shooting at an occupied building, defacing or damaging property valued at more than $1,000, shooting a gun from a vehicle, displaying a firearm or using it while attempting to commit murder, malicious wounding, or malicious wounding by a mob, and shooting another person.

Giddens was also charged with the misdemeanors of reckless handing of a firearm, being a member of a mob that committed assault, and shooting in or along Bluebird Road in Cape Charles. The alleged crimes occurred on June 14 and 15, 2024.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Jack Thornton argued Giddens has no intellectual issues. “This is an extremely, extremely dangerous thing. He’s man enough to carry around a gun. He wants to be a man. We can treat him like a man,” the prosecutor said.

Retired Judge W. Revell Lewis III reviewed the arguments, law, alleged offenses, and other evidence. “It just seems that having survived that night, I can’t reconcile the unauthorized use charge three days later,” the judge concluded. Or another charge regarding stolen property “two months later.” Lewis upheld the certification from the juvenile court for Giddens to be tried as an adult.

Witnesses told authorities Giddens was sitting in the back seat of a Chevy Malibu with a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun and fired several rounds into the party and house, said Thornton. “I’m not saying he was targeting anyone. But he was shooting at an occupied house. The other three in the vehicle were also shooting.”

Giddens is being held in Norfolk Detention Center. Court records state he is making progress to graduate from high school. He has family on the Eastern Shore, including his maternal grandmother and a cousin, 18-year-old Nykeem Ijour Bailey, of Walnut Lane in Birdsnest. Bailey was also indicted in connection with the shootings.

The other two alleged to have blasted gunfire out of the Malibu’s windows were

19-year-old Nicholas Edward Petrillo, of Seaside Road in Painter, and 19-year-old John Davis Barbour, of Redwood Road in Onancock.

      Twenty-seven-year-old Khiry Di’Fredrick Washington, of Blue Bird Road in Cheriton, was at the party when the shooters went by. He drove after them and returned fire. Washington pleaded guilty to maliciously shooting at an occupied vehicle and was sentenced to five years in prison with all but eight months suspended. He will be on supervised probation for three years and good behavior for five years.