Henrico men charged with killing pregnant teen
Henrico County
Brandon T. Garlick had a brief court appearance Wednesday and was jailed without bond.
Henrico County police have charged a 19-year-old Highland Springs man and a 23-year-old from the same area with second-degree murder in the shooting death of a pregnant high school student.
Arrest records show that Brandon T. Garlick was booked at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, about 21 hours after Wazira Harris fell to the ground from a bullet wound Monday night at Highland Woods Apartments.
Yesterday afternoon, police arrested a second suspect, James A. Jones, also of the Highland Springs area. Authorities did not provide a street address for Jones. In addition to the murder charge, each man also faces a charge of use of a firearm in commission of a felony.
Henrico Commonwealth's Attorney Wade A. Kizer asked yesterday morning that Garlick be held without bond pending a June 17 court appearance.
Garlick, who lives in the 00 block of South Grove Avenue in Highland Springs, made a brief video appearance in Henrico General District Court and received a court-appointed lawyer.
Kizer said Garlick was taken into custody Tuesday at Highland Springs Technical Center, adjacent to Highland Springs High School, just blocks from where Harris was shot.
Police said Harris was pregnant, but acquaintances of the young woman said Garlick was not the father. It could not be determined yesterday whether Garlick and Harris knew each other.
No one answered the door yesterday at Garlick's house, a Cape Cod-style home with two pit bulls in the backyard. Garlick's mother and Harris' father both declined comment.
Witnesses at the scene of the Monday night shooting in the 300 block of East Beal Street told police that Harris apparently was shot in the back sometime after 9 p.m. as she ran from a fight that broke out among as many as 30 young adults. Her body was found about 30 yards from the fight scene.
Police said Harris was taken in a private car to Richmond Community Hospital, where she died.
Kizer refused to provide other details about the case, the latest in a series of shooting deaths -- mostly of young adults -- in the past two years in the eastern Henrico corridor along Nine Mile Road.
It was not clear last night whether Garlick, who turned 19 on Sunday, attended school at the technical center. A school spokesman declined comment but noted that counseling services offered to high school students were widely used Tuesday.
"We didn't have problems with absences," said Mychael Dickerson, the spokesman.
Contact Bill McKelway at (804) 649-6601 or
.
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Reader Reactions
This is just a really sad situation all the way around. Let’s just see what is presented in Court. I am sure there is no good reason for anyone to be shot and/or killed. There is no reason for anyone other than a law enforcement officer to have a firearm in their possession unless they are hunting. Unless you were there, lets just let the families deal with this. If you were there maybe you should consider having a talk with Mr. Kizer and give him some useful information. There is but one purpose for a gun, to kill.
Please stop with the race stuff…This issue is less of a color issue and more of issue between the haves and the have nots. People that live in bad neighborhoods and are financially strapped are generally the ones that are out here hurting each other. Poor white neighborhoods are the same as poor black neighborhoods. Some parents dont care but generally when a kid from a good home and goes down the wrong path its because the parents are at work trying to provide and their kids while the kids are at home raising themselves. Forget what these people are saying about the children and the family on the news because everyone was a good person when they are dead…But please tell me when was the last time that a child from a good neighborhood and a solid support system at home killed someone. It happens but not too often. To lump an entire issue as a black issue or a white issue is absurd. As I said before if you go up to Walmart in Short Pump you will see white kids acting the same way that tmsfit saw the black kids acting. Its not a color issue..Its a society issue.
what do you when kids are having kids?
ghgirl,
we can agree to disagree, but I know that it was the prayers of others that change circumstances for those who had problems. Back in my days the teachers taught even moral. If they saw a student that had not be taught them.Yes, the parents have an obligation to teach these things, but if you have not noticed, parents need to be taught this day and time. Its one thing to point the finger, its a powerful individual who can help in assisting with the problem. If I see a child or parent needing a helping hand in this area it does not kill me to help make my people a better nation. Its call maturity.
Prayer has nothing to do with this issue,I taught my children (all 4) values to live by as did my father. I feel school is for learning i.e. math , english , etc. What will prayer do if a child has no faith in the system or faith at home? nothing at all I always hear about prayer in school just what difference will it make? none!! this young person shot a pregnant mom in cold blood get off the social stuff if he is guilty jail would be to nice for him
Sister Valarie,
The parents should be teaching all these values. The schools should be teaching our children how to read, write etc.. The schools should reinforce and enforce policies that don’t allow children to fight etc.. but it is not their place to moralize. I will teach my children my morals, you teach yours how you see fit. It is not up to the government to do that.. it is my responsibility as a parent. I do and have a child on the honor role who doesn’t tote a gun.
To qhgirl “Schools are for teaching” was your statement,so in saying that whatever is needed for that childs growth should be taught.Unfortunately Life Skills should be part of the curriculum, do to the era we live in. I am not talking about how to bake cookies, but consequences,problem resolution and proper decision making. I forget this is to much like right and we are not operating with the old morals any longer. When families looked out for one another.Also to avm prayer is needed back in schools. I will also pray for those who feel like it has nothing to do with raising the youth of today; anyone with this mindset will perish due to the lack of knowledge. It is not the worlds knowledge that progresses, wisdom takes you further.
Schools are for teaching. Parents should be the ones who help these kids with conflict resolution and the moral issues like drugs and sex. Our kids are already being short changed because the schools have to do so much that the families aren’t doing for the kids. No wonder teachers don’t have time to teach!
I agree with VDonna. I am a counselor in the Richmond Public Schools and the counselor resource is very important to the child and parents. We are living in a different era and it looks as things are not getting any better. They took prayer out of school, you can’t talk about spiritual growth. I don’t know how they think these young people will succeed without knowing who they have been called to be. They have not been placed on earth to kill, sell drugs, have babies at a early age and go to prison.A life has been lost by death and by prison. We need to look at what has been allowed to happen to our children, it is a set up and has been one for sometime.
One of the saddest issues emerging from these numerous and unncessary deaths of our youth is the lack of conflict resolution skills. Our youth are not being taught the methods to disagree without physical violence. I brought 2 children through the Highland Springs system and I know programs once existed teaching conflict resolutions within the schools. However, if these programs have been cut(for budget reasons), the effects are obvious; and they must be restored, and parents should be included in the courses. What a pitiful commentary on our society that Our young adults of all races and economic backgrounds do not know how to resolve disagreements without violent physical confrontations. My heart is heavy for all the families affected by this senseless behavior.
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