Suspect found not guilty in shooting at “Macho” Harris’ apartment

Richmond Times Dispatch

Published: August 28, 2008

UPDATE: 2:18 p.m., Thursday, 8-28:

Today, a jury handed down its verdict for one of the men charged with shooting into the off-campus apartment of Virginia Tech Cornerback “Macho” Harris.

This all stems from an incident last November when police say seven shots were fired from a 9MM handgun and a single shotgun blast hit the building.

Augustus Peal and Anthony Lucas were both arrested and charged with discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling.

This morning, Lucas was found not guilty.

We’re told Peal’s trial has not yet been scheduled.

Virginia Tech football star Victor “Macho” Harris testified Wednesday that shots fired at his apartment in November missed him by no more than five feet.

Harris testified in the trial of Anthony Jobair Lucas, 23, a 2006 Tech graduate charged with firing at an occupied dwelling, a felony. The trial, in Montgomery County Circuit Court in Christiansburg, was adjourned this afternoon after about seven hours and will resume tomorrow morning.

Lucas and Augustus Pajibo Peal, 23, were charged in the Nov. 11 shooting, which took place about 3:45 a.m.

Peal, whose trial is scheduled for later, told the court today that he drove Lucas to Harris’ apartment and Lucas fired shots from the car’s back seat. Peal said another man was in the car and fired a shotgun blast at the house. The other man has not been charged in the case.

Harris, a senior cornerback for the Hokies, was in the apartment with teammates Xavier Adibi and Justin Harper, who were seniors last year.

Harris testified that he heard as many as eight shots, some of which flew into his apartment no more than five feet from him and over the head of Adibi, who was sitting on a couch. Harris said he scrambled for cover.

“I was scared out of my life,” he said.

Lucas did not testify today.

Peal’s testimony about the reason for the shooting matched what police had said earlier—that Lucas and Harper had been involved in an altercation earlier that night.