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The long-awaited trial connected to a deadly 2023 shooting at a crowded apartment party near Harrisonburg began Monday in Rockingham County Circuit Court, nearly three years after two young men were killed during the chaotic gathering.
Chavis Barbour is facing multiple felony charges, including aggravated malicious wounding and firearm offenses, in connection with the deaths of 17-year-old Calour Fields of Harrisonburg and 22-year-old D’Angelo Marquise Gracy of Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Both were shot during a late-night party at the Redpoint apartment complex, located just outside city limits.
Jury selection and opening statements
Proceedings opened with jury selection before attorneys delivered sharply contrasting narratives about what happened inside the packed apartment.
Prosecutors argued that Barbour acted deliberately and later attempted to erase evidence. Commonwealth’s Attorney Marsha Garst told jurors the defendant had experience with firearms and knowingly disposed of both the weapon and his cellphone after the shooting. She also referenced alleged social media content in which Barbour celebrated the deaths in music posted to Snapchat.
Defense attorneys countered that Barbour fired in self-defense during a confrontation that escalated rapidly. According to the defense, tensions rose after Fields and Gracy confronted Barbour and his friends in the crowded room. They claim Barbour displayed a gun in an effort to stop the altercation, but Gracy allegedly produced a weapon as well, prompting Barbour to shoot out of fear for his life.
Emotional testimony from victims’ family and witnesses
The first witness was Fields’ mother, Candice Strother, who described the final moments before her son went to the party. Fighting back tears, she told jurors she had helped arrange his Lyft ride and confirmed his safe arrival — the last contact she had with him.
Jurors also heard from Fields’ teenage girlfriend, who said neither Fields nor his half-brother Gracy carried weapons when they arrived. She described the apartment as dangerously overcrowded and said she felt uneasy almost immediately. After being separated from Fields amid pushing and shoving, she later heard gunshots erupt and fled with others who struggled to escape the packed space. She learned only afterward that Fields had been shot.
Several other partygoers testified to similar conditions — a cramped apartment, people pushing through tight spaces, and mounting tension as the night wore on.
One attendee recalled greeting Barbour at the door earlier in the evening and later seeing him near the entrance just after gunfire rang out. She said she fled with friends and later texted someone connected to Barbour asking why he had harmed a younger boy.
Another witness, who had communicated with Barbour on social media before the party, testified that she saw smoke and people running in panic. Messages shown in court indicated she confronted Barbour afterward, writing that someone had been killed. Barbour allegedly responded with confusion, according to testimony.
Defense attorneys questioned her about a previous statement suggesting a possible second shooter. The witness said she did not remember making that claim and maintained that at the time she believed Barbour was responsible.
A fourth young woman described seeing arguments and physical jostling shortly before shots were fired. She said she observed two victims lying motionless on the floor as people scrambled to escape.
Trial continues
Testimony on the first day concluded after roughly six hours, with proceedings scheduled to resume Tuesday morning. Prosecutors have indicated they may call hundreds of potential witnesses as the case unfolds.
The trial is expected to examine not only the fatal moments inside the apartment but also Barbour’s actions and communications in the aftermath, as jurors weigh competing claims of malicious intent versus self-defense.
SOURCE: WHSV3