Weldon police: Toddler's shooting was act of retaliation

Police charged four men Thursday night in connection with the death of 2-year-old Dyana Anderson and the shooting that left her grandmother, Catherine Price, 54, hospitalized.

"We have the four people that are responsible for this shooting," Police Chief Mark Macon said, noting that the case had been a high priority case for his department.

Jamonte Lamoncion Moody, Semajs Short, William David Cook and Victor Mallory each face a single charge of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder in the incident, Macon said.

Moody, 19, Short, 17 and Cook, 21, who all reside in Roanoke Rapids, were arrested without incident Thursday evening. Macon said officers staked out locations the suspects were known to frequent in order to make the arrests.

Mallory, 21, was taken into custody in Weldon by police and the Halifax County Sheriff's Office.

Macon made a point of thanking other law enforcement agencies for their cooperation and help with the investigation.

All four suspects were being held at the Halifax County jail without bond. 

Macon linked the shootings on Cedar Street to Garner's shooting death near the intersection of Maple and East 11th streets, about a mile away.

Garner died, and a 17-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man who were with him were also shot. Teddy Keith Anderson Jr., 18, who is an uncle of Dyana Anderson, is a suspect in Garner's shooting death, and he is wanted by police.

Another man, Semaj Tojuan Clanton, 19, of Garysburg, is in custody charged with Garner's murder. 

When pressed for details about how all the parties to these two crimes are connected or whether gang activity was a factor, Macon demurred. 

In general, he said, "There's a problem with gangs, guns, drugs, violence in this community."