BENNINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Two people who police say killed a man in Rutland pleaded not guilty on Monday. Court paperwork indicates the victim was not the intended target of the shooting.
Video from Friday night shows the moment Christopher Hale, 32, was shot on a porch on Elm Street in Rutland. In the distance, you can see what appears to be the alleged shooter running away.
Dylin Wainscott, 28, of Westfield, Massachusetts, faces a charge of first-degree murder. Precious Okorie, 31, of Springfield, is charged with helping in the deadly shooting. Both men pleaded not guilty and are being held behind bars.
Court paperwork says the two men planned to shoot someone, but not Hale.
Rutland County State’s Attorney Ian Sullivan: Okorie and Wainscott were pursuing perhaps a different individual than Mr. Hale.
Reporter Ike Bendavid: So the victim was not the target?
Ian Sullivan: With the information we have now, that appears to be the case.
Court paperwork reveals that about a week before the murder, Wainscott had issues with a suspected drug dealer in Rutland that police say led to an unreported shooting and drug robbery at 19 Elm Street, the site of Friday night’s shooting.
The deadly shooting is a product of that prior incident, according to police. They say Wainscott, under the order of Okorie, shot the first person he saw who looked like his alleged rival.
“The information in the affidavit points to another individual,” Sullivan said.
Police were tipped off when someone in close connection with the suspects contacted them. Officers located and arrested the two men in a nearby parking lot.
We still don’t know why Hale was at the house at the time of the shooting.
Sullivan says drug and gun crimes are becoming too common in Rutland. He’s hoping lawmakers take further action in the upcoming session to improve services for drug users and enact stronger gun laws.