Louisa man is found guilty in shooting

BY PORTSIA SMITH

Forensic evidence and the testimony of a man who survived being shot in the chest five times led to a guilty verdict against a Louisa County man.

Devonne Tyrell Robinson, 23, was convicted in Louisa Circuit Court on Thursday of malicious wounding, shooting at an occupied vehicle and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. His trial lasted five hours.

On Nov. 6, deputies arrived just after midnight at a location in the 5800 block of Buckner Road where a birthday party had taken place.

Robinson was accused of approaching Carlos Anderson, 31, and shooting him in the chest five times.

Anderson returned fire and shot Robinson twice in the arm, said Commonwealth’s Attorney Rusty McGuire.

A 20-year-old female bystander was also struck in the arm, police said.

During the trial, Anderson testified that he and his friends were getting in his car when an altercation started.

He said Robinson shot him for no apparent reason.

All four witnesses whom defense attorney Richard Harry put on the stand testified that Robinson shot in self-defense after being shot first.

But according to Louisa County Detective Mark Stanton, the forensic evidence was completely consistent with the victim’s version of events.

Stanton, a certified forensic technician, (one of only 55 law enforcement personnel in Virginia who has earned a crime certification from the International Association for Identification, testified about the trajectory of the bullets and the shell casings that he found at the scene and in the vehicle.

When handing down the verdict, Judge Timothy Sanner said “the defense version of the case is wholly inconsistent with the forensic evidence and appeared made up to create a self-defense argument.”

Robinson faces 33 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16.

Portsia Smith:  540/374-5419

psmith@fredericksburg.com

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