NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A man accused of a deadly 2022 shooting at MacArthur Center has been found guilty Wednesday on one count of voluntary manslaughter.
Gary Moore, who was accused of killing 33-year-old Roosevelt McKinney and injuring two bystanders in an April 2022 shooting inside MacArthur Center, was convicted last year of two counts of unlawful wounding, but a jury then could not unanimously decide whether he was guilty of voluntary manslaughter, a reduced charge from murder.
It took the jury about an hour and a half, Wednesday afternoon, to come to its verdict. Moore is scheduled to be sentenced July 18 for this charge. He also has a May 2 sentencing date for the previous convictions.
There was never any question who pulled the trigger that day. The entire incident, along with the two, less-violent ones that happened before it, were captured on surveillance video. Moore, in the previous trial, identified himself in court in a piece of video just frames before being shown running out of a store, into the mall, with an arm fully extended and pistol in hand.
Moore took the stand in both trials, telling the juries about an altercation that occurred outside of a store in another part of town, earlier, on the day of the incident.
He and a friend were walking to their cars when another man tried to initiate a fight with his friend. Moore said he broke it up and they moved on.
Surveillance video played in court showed what led up to the shooting in the mall.
Moore and his friend were inside of a store when they were confronted by a group of men — including the man from the previous incident, according to Moore. A short scuffle ensued.
Moore said he tried to deescalate. As the fight went on, he said he put his hand on the satchel he was wearing to show the other side he was armed. Inside, he carried a handgun, illegal under the law due to prior felony convictions.
He said he saw the butt of a handgun in one of the other men’s waistbands and wanted to send a message.
In the surveillance video, the fight eventually subsides and the other group leaves.
Sometime later, members of the group again confront Moore and his friend, this time inside of the Lids store. It’s close quarters and crowded. Two men rush in. Punches are thrown. The grainy video is chaotic.
Eventually, the men turn and walk out of the store — followed seconds later by Moore, who fired five times.
Moore’s defense attorney argued it was self-defense. He testified that the other men had tried to take their bags, called them b****es, and threatened their lives.
“We might not make it out of here,” he recalled thinking. He said his friend was bleeding from the head.
Upon hearing the verdict Wednesday, McKinney’s mother, Stacey McKinney-Whack, burst into tears.
“We’ve been waiting for this for three long years,” she told 10 On Your Side outside of the courthouse. “We’re just glad that they came to a decision where they found him guilty and we’re glad it’s over with. And we just thank everybody that’s been praying for us.”
Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi said after the verdict he felt “a lot of relief” for the family of the victims, and for the living victims.
“We have been on this road for a number of years, … and a conviction means a lot to them and a lot to me,” Fatehi said. “I also feel very proud of my trial team. These lawyers are great lawyers, very persistent lawyers. We have to be patient and we have to be persistent because justice will be served and it was today.”