VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - A 19-year-old man arrested in connection with the deadly shootings at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront last year is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday.
Tyereis Alexander Smithof Virginia Beach will be sentenced on a federal firearms charge. He was charged with with three counts of selling a firearm to a convicted felon and failure to run a criminal history check prior to selling a firearm.
He is currently in custody at the Western Tidewater Regional Jail.
Smith pleaded guilty on September 21, 2021.
According to the prosecutors' sentencing position, on February 21, 2021, a task force officer saw a live video on an Instagram profile said to belong to Smith, in which Smith is seen smoking marijuana and flashing one of the firearms he later pleaded guilty to illegally transferring. They say he later sold this firearm to Gerald Thomas, a convicted felon who was also charged in connection with the shootings.
The prosecution is asking he serve 30 months in prison. The defense is asking for no more than 20 months and that he get credit for time served at the Virginia Beach City Jail for the state-level offenses that were later nolle prossed.
Smith's co-defendant, Jhaimeek Carter, pleaded guilty on September 16, 2021, and is scheduled to be sentenced next week.
On the night of March 26, 2021, multiple people were shot in two separate incidents at the Oceanfront. One of the victims was 25-year-old Donovon Lynch, who was shot and killed by a Virginia Beach Police officer.
In November 2021, the Virginia Beach Commonwealth's Attorney's Office announced the officer involved in the shooting, Solomon Simmons,would not be charged, citing self-defense.
Timeline of events:
The other victim was 28-year-old Deshayla Harris. As of January 17, no one has been arrested in connection with her death. Her family is still searching for answersand has called on the FBI to investigatethe shootings that happened that night.
