5-year-old suffers life-threatening injuries in shooting; Virginia suspect sought

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WTKR) -- Detectives with the Portsmouth Police Department Major Crimes Unit are searching for a suspect wanted for allegedly shooting a child.

On Friday, March 20, around 8:39 p.m., officials received several calls for shots being fired in the 1100 block of Virginia Avenue.

While police were responding to these calls, officials received another call stating that a child had been shot and was being driven to a local hospital. Officers responded to Virginia Avenue and located a crime scene. Additional officer responded to Maryview Hospital where they met the mother and a 5-year-old boy with an injury to his torso. The boy was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

Detectives believe the individual who shot the child was 19-year-old Marquelle B. Simon of Chesapeake.

Simon currently has active warrants on file for aggravated malicious wounding, attempted malicious wounding, and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Simon should be considered armed and dangerous, police say.