Proceedings continued as trial date considered in Princess Theater murder case

Whether the three suspects charged in connection with the fatal shooting at the Princess Theater in 2021 will head to trial in January remains up the air, as proceedings were continued Monday to allow for all sides to go over new information.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Maureen Leamy informed the court that a reconstruction report of the shooting event from the Princess Theater has been completed and she is hopeful to have it sometime this week.

 Sands Chewning represents Zamarius Humphries and Jaquavian Spencer, who are both charged with complicity to murder in relation to the shooting, and he says the report should show the paths that bullets allegedly traveled during the incident.

Humphries allegedly pulled a gun on Spencer after an event at the Princess Theater in November of 2021 and that Spencer then pulled his own gun and shot Humphries in the neck. Both men have since contended that that’s not how the situation happened. 

Murder suspect Deovion Day allegedly began firing a gun a Spencer during the same incident, and a bullet fatally struck Aniya Collins, who was attempting to leave in a vehicle. The gunfire also reportedly struck Gteria Acree, who was in a parking lot at the corner of East Eighth and Virginia Streets, injuring her.

Day was not present in the courtroom Monday, and Judge Andrew Self set a pretrial hearing for December 18, with the hope that’s enough time to review the report and see if all parties will be ready for trial.

Currently, all three are set to go to trial on January 8.