WEST POINT — West Point police have issued a call for video footage that may lead to an arrest in the Nov. 25 shooting at Bryan Union Hall that took the life of Dejah Shaw, 21, of West Point.
Police Chief Tim Brinkley issued a press release Thursday asking for anyone who may have recorded cellphone videos of the shooting to contact the police department.
Officers responded to the shooting call at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 25 at the facility, where an event was being held.
The woman, later identified as Shaw, was found with a bullet wound to her chest. Police said shell casings from two weapons were found on the scene.
In the press release, Brinkley noted the investigation has been hampered by a lack of cooperation from witnesses on the scene.
Brinkley said the reluctance of witnesses to come forward may be an example of the “code of the street,” according to the press release.
“I don’t think that many of the witnesses who we know are out there are afraid of retaliation; I just think they really don’t want to get deeply involved,” Brinkley said. “Even though we keep informants’ identit(ies) strictly confidential, we constantly struggle against the ‘code of the street’ concept. A lot of our younger generation consider themselves bound to this unwritten code that you don’t trust or cooperate with the police no matter what. That kind of attitude is detrimental to our criminal justice system and our communities as a whole.”
Despite the lack of eyewitness cooperation, Brinkley said progress has been made in the investigation, although no arrests have been made.
“We know that multiple shots were fired inside the building from at least two different locations,” Brinkley said. “An autopsy was completed Monday and a preliminary ballistic examination has been conducted. Event coordinators, security personnel and witnesses are being interviewed. Statements are being compiled from people who we can identify as being at the scene.”
The incident is still under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers or the West Point Police Department at 662-494-1244.
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