Pallbearer shot dead at 10-year-old’s burial by funeral service owner, Maryland cops say
A shooting at a cemetery interrupted burial preparations for a 10-year-old murder victim, killing the pallbearer in Maryland, police said.
The funeral service owner hosting burial services for the girl’s family is accused of firing two shots, one of which hit the pallbearer, Ronald Steven Banks, 30, of Washington, D.C., the afternoon of June 6 in Suitland, according to the Prince George’s County Police Department.
The second shot grazed a woman, who wasn’t identified by authorities.
The shooting — which was related to a “long-standing business dispute” — sent Banks to a hospital where he died of his injuries shortly afterward, according to police.
Wilson Chavis, 48, of Hughesville, was arrested after fleeing the cemetery in his car, Prince George’s County Police said in a June 7 news release posted to Facebook.
He is facing charges of first- and second-degree murder, attempted first- and second-degree murder and other related charges, according to authorities.
“I’m so traumatized that this happened at my daughter’s burial site,” Antionette Belk, the mother of Arianna Davis, told NBC4 Washington. “I didn’t even get to lay her down, even to put her in the ground, and another incident happened.”
“It’s trauma after trauma.”
Arianna was killed on May 14, Mother’s Day, in Washington, D.C., when a stray bullet struck her, according to 7News.
How the shooting unfolded
As the girl’s funeral was about to begin, Chavis is accused of confronting Banks and the woman he shot, police said.
According to Belk, Banks was a close family friend, NBC4 Washington reported.
Banks and the woman were affiliated with a funeral service company Chavis had a history of disputing with, according to authorities.
During the confrontation, Chavis shouted “I own this body” and spit on the service’s preacher, Belk told NBC4 Washington.
Chavis’ behavior upset funeral attendees, who tried stepping in before he pulled out a gun and shot Banks and the woman, according to police, who were called to the scene around 1:20 p.m.
Authorities ask anyone who has information related to the shooting to call detectives at 301-516-2512.
This story was originally published June 7, 2023 at 2:25 PM with the headline "Pallbearer shot dead at 10-year-old’s burial by funeral service owner, Maryland cops say."
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