Louisa County man killed in shooting on South First Street

A Louisa County man was killed early Sunday in a shooting near public housing in Charlottesville.

Officers responded to the 900 block of South First Street for a report of shots fired at 12:57 a.m., according to a press release.

When they responded, police found Jamarcus B. Washington, 32, dead on the sidewalk.

The killing is the second around South First Street public housing in the past two months. Dre’Shawn Rayvon McDonald died in a November shooting.

Police have responded to 14 shots-fired calls on South First Street in 2020, more than 2016 through 2019 combined, according to CPD data, leading to a push for crime enforcement and cameras from residents.

The areas around South First Street and Westhaven, also a public housing site, have now seen at least four homicides and 65 reports of shots fired in the past five years.

The Charlottesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority’s safety committee has held several meetings since McDonald was killed. The CRHA has decided to finalize a policy to govern its use of surveillance cameras before installing them.

The policy under consideration would apply to all CRHA properties, although not all would get cameras.

The draft policy says cameras would be mounted in set locations, but could be temporarily moved if issues such as property damage or personal security arise. The cameras would focus on common areas, not individual doorways or backyards. They would be fixed and not monitored in real time.

The committee will discuss the policy again at its meeting at 6 p.m. Jan. 5 before sending it out for public comment. The meetings are open to the public and residents are encouraged to join and provide input on safety measures. To participate, visit tinyurl.com/crhasafety. The meeting passcode is 181698.

Anyone with information on Sunday’s slaying is urged to call the Charlottesville Police Department at (434) 970-3280. Tipsters can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at (434) 977-4000.

A reward of up to $1,000 is available through Crime Stoppers for information leading to an arrest.

Source: www.dailyprogress.com