Two charged with murder in death of man gunned down beside child outside CT courthouse
A Meriden man and woman have been charged in the fatal shooting of a man outside a state of Connecticut courthouse last month.
Dante Howell, 29, was arrested Wednesday and charged in connection with the March 21 death of 26-year-old Jarron Chapman, which occurred outside the courthouse in Waterbury, according to the Waterbury Police Department.
Howell is charged with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, criminal possession of a firearm, criminal use of a firearm, illegal transfer of a firearm, unlawful discharge of a firearm, first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree breach of peace and larceny of a motor vehicle.
Police said Howell was taken into custody in Middlefield and was being held in lieu of $5 million bail. He was expected to be arraigned Thursday.
Investigators identified a second suspect as 21-year-old Deera Nelson of Meriden and obtained an arrest warrant, police said. Nelson turned herself into the Waterbury Police Department on Thursday and was charged with murder, conspiracy at murder and hindering prosecution.
Nelson was arraigned in court on Friday and was being held by the Connecticut Department of Correction on a $3 million bond.
The day of the shooting, police responded to Superior Court in Waterbury, located at 400 Grand St., just after 11:40 a.m. and found Chapman suffering from gunshot injuries. He was taken to an area hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, police said.
Police said Chapman was shot just moments after he appeared before a judge and was granted a continuance in his case.
His attorney, Waterbury-based Ioannis Kaloidis, previously told The Courant he shook hands with his client and that, after only a few moments, judicial marshals stormed into the courtroom and locked down the courthouse.
Kaloidis later learned that Chapman was shot outside the courthouse while he was with his 2-year-old daughter and a woman, neither of whom was injured.
According to Kaloidis, the alleged shooter drove up on a motorcycle, got off the bike briefly and allegedly shot his client before fleeing the area on the motorcycle.
According to Judicial Branch records, Chapman had three cases pending, including a violation of probation, a matter involving threatening and assault charges and a third case that included multiple gun and drug charges.
Kaloidis told the Courant none of his client’s pending cases could explain why someone would want to kill him, though he said it was clear the shooter knew he would be at court and allegedly targeted him.
The shooting remains under investigation, police said Friday, and additional arrests are expected.
