WAVY.com

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — There is a new push from Portsmouth police to get answers in the shooting death of a 10-year-old boy.

Nearly two weeks has passed since Keontre Thornhill was killed in his home in Portsmouth. They believe people in the community know where a person of interest might be.


In a press conference Wednesday, Detective Gino Jackson asked for the public’s help in finding 26-year-old Cleon Banks.

“Currently, Mr. Banks is not wanted,” Jackson said. “He is not wanted. He has not been charged in this case.”

However, police said Banks is considered armed and dangerous.

“Based upon what the investigation has yielded, it is believed that the actions of Mr. Banks taken that day either directly or indirectly led to a chain of events that caused the death of a 10-year-old person,” Jackson said.

Police said a large group of juveniles gathered for a fight on Friday, April 26 and that adults might have been involved. Police have arrested and charged 31-year-old Shawnday Ross with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Jackson said he wasn’t able to go into detail about why she is facing that charge, but when asked what she might have done, Jackson urged parents to not encourage their children into fighting and not to take part in fights. He also had this to say to parents:

“Pay attention to your kids,” Jackson said. “Pay attention to your kids. The system, the police, the schools, we can’t raise your children, we need you to raise your children and raise them and point them in the right direction.”

Keontre’s mother, Kevina Thornhill, said scenes like this play out constantly on Farragut Street.

“There’s been so many fights, like weeks and weeks at a time, coming from school,” Thornhill said. “And like you said, parents not standing up to be parents, they’d rather go out there and fight with their children at that time. It’s just no control.”

Police urge anyone with video of the incident to come forward and share it with them. Portsmouth Police can be reached at 757-393-8536.

You can remain anonymous by calling the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP (1-888-562-5887) or using the P3tips app.