Virginia man convicted in fatal park shooting of 9-year-old

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A 19-year-old has been convicted of involvement in a shooting that left a 9-year-old girl dead and an 11-year-old boy wounded during a Memorial Day weekend cookout in a Virginia park.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports a judge found Quinshawn Betts guilty on Wednesday of second-degree murder, malicious wounding and firearm charges in the death of Markiya Dickson and wounding of Jaquez Evans-Moses.

The children were struck while attending an annual community gathering in May 2019.

The newspaper says Betts’ attorney argued he was defending himself and his brother after a gunman opened fire on them first.

Betts could face more than 40 years in prison at an August sentencing.

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