NORFOLK, Va. — A Portsmouth man has been acquitted of several charges he faced in connection with the death of Jahari George, a Norfolk State University student who was shot and killed off-campus in 2023.
On Friday, a jury found Camari Warren not guilty on all charges — including first-degree murder — in George's death.
Previous coverage: Parents of NSU student Jahari George mourn him one year after death
On Sept. 2, 2023, George and his friends were in a car on Gate House Road, just outside NSU's campus, prosecutors said. They said the car he was in was shot multiple times. They called three witnesses to the stand who were in the car during the shooting, including George’s then-girlfriend, who all attested to the car getting shot up.
Prosecutors argued that while they didn't think Warren pulled the trigger, they believed he played a role in orchestrating the shooting that killed George. They accused Warren of calling a friend and asking them to shoot up the car George was in, using phone records between the two and cellphone location data to support their argument. They also called a witness named Anthony Pugh, who claims he was with Warren during the events leading up to the shooting, to confirm their timeline of events.
Previous coverage: Family of murdered NSU student releases statement calling for change
However, Warren’s defense argued Pugh was not a reliable witness. They claim he’s incentivised to provide testimony in exchange for leniency in his other case—an accusation Pugh denied. They further claimed it was Pugh himself who orchestrated the shooting.
The motive for the shooting was not explained during the trial.
Previous coverage: Trial for 2023 fatal shooting of NSU student heading to jury after two days
News of George’s passing sent shockwaves through the community following his death in 2023. In a News 3 interview, George's parents described him as an intelligent, motivated student with a “wonderful spirit” and a bright future. They said George graduated in the top five percent of his high school class and was accepted to over 20 colleges. They said in addition to being an honors student and engineering major at NSU, he was very active in the student community.
Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney Ramin Fatehi shared the following statement with News 3 after the trial:
"I am proud of the work that my trial team put into this case, and while I respectfully disagree with the verdict of the jury, I thank them for taking their duty seriously. Out of respect for the right of Mr. Warren’s codefendant to a fair trial, it is best for me not to comment further on the case."
Our reporter Colter Anstaett is at court and will provide more information regarding today's outcome online and on News 3 at 4.
