NORFOLK, Va. — A sentence has been handed down for one of two men who pleaded guilty in the case of the 2019 fatal shooting of a Wawa employee in Norfolk.
A Norfolk Circut Court judge on Friday sentenced Andre Brinkley, 23, to 29 active years in prison.
The shooting happened on May 26, 2019, at the Wawa on E. Little Creek Road. Court documents show an employee of the gas station, 38-year-old Helena B. Stiglets was sitting inside her car when she was shot. She was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Authorities arrested Brinkley in addition to Shonquial Hamlin. Hamlin is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty in July.
Court documents show Stiglets left the store to start her vehicle, then went inside the store and came back. Brinkley and Hamlin were on the side of the building where Stiglets' car was parked. Brinkley allegedly approached Stiglets, then attempted to rob her and shot at her multiple times before trying and failing to steal her vehicle. Hamlin remained on his bike immediately behind Stiglets' car, urging Brinkley to run away after the shooting. He and Brinkley then separated; Hamlin did not attempt to contact the police or assist in apprehending Brinkley.
On June 14 of this year, Brinkley pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, unlawful wounding, robbery, destruction of property, the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and discharging a firearm in public. The plea agreement included a sentencing cap of 29 years of active incarceration.
The judge on Friday sentenced Brinkley to 50 years in prison with 24 years suspended for first-degree murder, five years in prison with all years suspended for unlawful wounding, 10 years in prison with all years suspended for robbery, five years in prison with all years suspended for destruction of property, three years in prison for the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and 12 months in jail with all months suspended for discharging a firearm in public.
