2 men have been indicted for an 8-year-old’s shooting death in Virginia last year

HOPEWELL, Va. (AP) — Two young men have been accused of first-degree murder and other charges related to the shooting death of an 8-year-old girl at the close of 2022 in a central Virginia city.

Jamari Antonio Taylor, 20, of Hopewell and Rayquan Latrel Harvell, 18, of Chesterfield, were indicted on several counts between them on Wednesday, according to a Hopewell Police Department news release. They were in the Riverside Regional Jail on Saturday without bond, according to electronic records.

P’Aris Moore was shot in the chest on Dec. 30 and died later at TriCities Hospital. The police chief at the time had said that the girl was playing in a front yard when a vehicle slowed down and fired a single shot. Police had said witnesses had reported seeing a sedan with tinted windows speeding through the area that could be related to the shooting.

The police news release said an “extensive investigation” into the homicide led to the arrests that involved the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney and the local community.

A jail official said Saturday it had no contact information for any attorneys representing Harvell and Taylor. Other charges against Taylor include conspiracy to commit murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Harvell was also indicted for possession of a firearm while committing a felony.