Virginia man arrested in Northampton shooting

Published 3:25 pm Wednesday, July 15, 2020

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JACKSON – An investigation linking two shooting incidents in different counties on the same date last year has ended with an arrest.

Kahlil Williams-Cook, age 20 of Hampton, VA, is detained under a $300,000 secured bond for his alleged role in a case where a vehicle occupied by four Chowan University students was fired upon while traveling on a secondary road in Northampton County. That shooting occurred in the early morning hours of Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019.

Kahlil Williams-Cook

The arrest warrants issued by the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office charged Williams-Cook with one felony count of discharging a weapon into an occupied property causing serious bodily injury, one felony count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, one felony count discharging a weapon into an occupied moving vehicle, three misdemeanor counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and one misdemeanor count of injury to personal property.

The arrest warrants were served July 9 on Williams-Cook by the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office. The suspect was then transferred into the custody of the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office.

Williams-Cook is scheduled to make his initial appearance on July 30 in Northampton County Criminal District court to answer those charges.

Northampton Sheriff’s Captain Patrick Jacobs handled the shooting investigation in his county. He said that at approximately 2:03 a.m. on Sept. 22, 2019, Northampton deputies responded to a shooting that occurred on a county road between Conway and Murfreesboro. There, a vehicle occupied by four Chowan University students was reported to have been struck with numerous bullets while traveling along the highway. One victim inside the vehicle was transported to a local hospital where he was treated for his injuries and released.

Less than 30 minutes later, shots were fired outside Whites Crossing, an area of student residential housing located along Union Street on the south end of the Chowan University campus. There was no bodily injury in that shooting, however there was damage to real and personal property.

In that incident, Chowan Campus Police arrested Williams-Cook and Jamonte Smith of Newport News, VA a little over one hour later in an area along Union Street near Cotton Street.

Williams-Cooke was charged by Chowan Campus Police with carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a weapon on school grounds, and resisting a public officer. Smith faces a charge of resisting a public officer.

Neither man was enrolled as a Chowan student.

Capt. Jacobs said that after an extensive investigation and working closely with Chowan University Police, it was determined the two shootings were linked. Arrest warrants were obtained on May 13 on Kahlil Williams-Cook in relation to the shooting in Northampton County.

“I would like to thank Captain Jacobs for investigating this case and like to thank Chowan University Police for working closely with our agency in conjunction with both agencies investigations,” stated Northampton County Sheriff Jack Smith. “I am thankful that this situation did not result in a more tragic incident.

“The Northampton County Sheriff’s Office will continue to work closely together along with other agencies such as in this case. This was a great example of a collective effort by multiple agencies working together,” Smith concluded.

About Cal Bryant

Cal Bryant, a 40-year veteran of the newspaper industry, serves as the Editor at Roanoke-Chowan Publications, publishers of the Roanoke-Chowan News-Herald, Gates County Index, and Front Porch Living magazine.

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