Henrico teen’s death probed
Family members feared last night that longtime neighborhood rivalries may have been behind the brazen shooting death of a 16-year-old Henrico County youth.
"It's been Central Gardens against New Bridge," said Sabrina Chambers, comforted by a house full of family and friends last night. "Maybe what happened to my son will save another child's life."
Quintin L. Chambers died in a hail of gunfire Friday afternoon in the 800 block of Pleasant Street off Nine Mile Road in eastern Henrico, county police said.
Two 18-year-old Henrico residents have been arrested on murder and gun charges. Both are being held without bond, police said.
The suspects were identified as Marcus A. Yancey, of the 200 block of Natchez Road, in the Country Place subdivision north of Nine Mile Road; and Hakeem D. Witcher of the 200 block of Stuttaford Drive in Sandston.
Chambers, who would have turned 17 on Wednesday and was a student at Virginia Randolph Community High School, was working on his cousin's car putting in a sound system when a car rolled past and shots were fired, according to his family.
"Quintin was jumping to the ground and ended up" lying across his cousin, possibly saving his life, family members said.
"He was the protector," said his mother, even though he was the youngest of her three children. His nickname was Skittles, and he planned to spend his birthday wearing a new suit to church with his girlfriend, his mother said.
The family had recently moved to their home in the 1900 block of North Battery Drive to escape neighborhood rivalries between young people associated with Central Gardens, an area off Mechanicsville Turnpike near the city line.
Chambers, who stood more than 6 feet tall and weighed some 180 pounds, had graduated from Henrico's New Bridge Middle School last year. He had recently passed an exam and planned to begin work at Wal-Mart.
The shooting occurred near Quintin Chambers' grandmother's home, where family members often gathered on weekends.
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