NORFOLK — A Norfolk man will serve four years in prison after shooting into an occupied apartment last spring — while children were nearby waiting for the school bus.
On March 14, 2025, Judge Tasha D. Scott sentenced 26-year-old Shamar Allen King to four years for opening fire outside a Barberton apartment on Goff Street on the morning of May 10, 2024. King, who’s legally barred from owning a firearm due to a prior felony conviction, fired 10 rounds into the apartment after the man inside — his girlfriend’s child’s father — didn’t open the door for an unannounced visit.
The girlfriend and her child were in the car with King when the shooting happened. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the incident unfolded while kids were outside nearby, waiting for their ride to school.
After firing the shots, King and his girlfriend grabbed the child and fled. Eyewitnesses quickly identified King as the shooter, leading to his arrest. He was originally charged with a list of offenses, including attempted malicious wounding, child neglect, and firearm use during a felony.
King pleaded guilty in December to three of the charges: malicious shooting into an occupied dwelling, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and child neglect. The rest were dropped as part of a plea deal.
Judge Scott handed down a four-year prison sentence, just shy of the maximum agreed upon in the deal. She also suspended two more years, on the condition that King completes five years of good behavior and supervised probation after his release. He’ll also be required to attend anger management and other court-ordered programs.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi commented on the sentencing:
“It goes without saying that gunfire solves nothing. Mr. King had no reason to possess a gun, let alone to shoot it because another man did not open his door. Thanks to the help of witnesses who identified Mr. King, we and the court have held Mr. King accountable for his dangerous and unnecessary conduct.”