Brother charged after fatal shooting

Thursday, September 17, 2009 3:00 AM  |  Printer friendly version | E-mail to a friend | By Jessie Burchette

jburchette@salisburypost.com

A Salisbury teenager has been charged with accidentally killing his brother Wednesday.

Bobby Jonathan Chambers, 19, was charged Wednesday night with involuntary manslaughter in the death of his brother Elbert Leon "Trey" Chambers III.

Trey Chambers, who was a known gang member, died Wednesday afternoon of gunshot wounds to the head and upper body.

Around 3:10 p.m. police responding to a report of gunshots at 1028 W. Horah St. found Trey Chambers sitting in a chair inside the front door, covered in blood.

Police moved the victim to the floor and attempted to revive him but were unsuccessful.

Police Chief Mark Wilhelm said some of the people who were in the house initially told police the death was a suicide. But evidence didn't substantiate a suicide.

Police took three or more people who were at the house into custody for questioning.

After conferring with the District Attorney's Office, police obtained a search warrant and around 6 p.m. began to process the scene and the body.

The body was removed after 7 p.m. and sent to the Medical Examiners office in Charlotte.

Police said the Chambers family lived at the house where the shooting occurred.

Friends and police on the scene attempted to console Chambers' family members, including his brother, Bobby, who was distraught.

Wilhelm said police do not believe Bobby Chambers intended to kill his brother.

"There was some kind of reckless handling of a firearm between them," Wilhelm said.

Bobby Chambers is being held in the Rowan County Detention Center under $35,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in Rowan County District Court on Friday.

Police were familiar with Trey Chambers, who has been involved in multiple incidents over the past few years.

He was one of the teens involved in the March 16, 2007, shootout at the J.C. Price American Legion party where 13-year-old Treasure Feamster was killed in the crossfire.

He was charged with inciting a riot and was sentenced to one year in jail. In 2006, when he was 17, Trey Chambers was one of a group of teens charged with slashing more than 200 tires on 100-plus vehicles.

A large crowd of neighbors and spectators gathered along West Horah Street on Wednesday afternoon to watch police and emergency officials work the crime scene and talk about what had happened.

William Fisher wasn't surprised that someone had gotten shot. He sat on the steps of his walkway and talked about the house police had cordoned off with yellow tape. "There's been too much activity there - a lot of activity," Fisher said, adding that he had called police several times about that house and some others in the area. "The landlords don't give a hoot what goes on," he said.

Fisher and other neighbors said they suspect drugs were involved.

Arielle Eller, who lives next door at 1022 West Horah St., said she heard at least two shots and saw three or four people run from the house.

Her brother, Donelle Eller, called police.

The shooting occurred shortly after after Eller's friend Sharonda Torrence arrived for a visit.

Torrence said there were several guys near the door on the inside and outside.

"They were all staring at me," she said. "It wasn't five minutes until we heard the shots."