Arrest Made in Newport Drive-By Shooting

NEWPORT, RI—A 18-year-old Newport man is in custody for the alleged shooting and motor vehicle assault targeting a 22-year-old man at the Newport Heights Housing Development on Friday.

Newport police charged Jalil Muhammad Nelson, of 17 Shimoda Way, with four counts of assault with a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm from a motor vehicle and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in personal injury. He also was charged with violating a no-contact order.

Newport police Sgt. Jonathan Cortes said that police were called to the scene at around 10:32 a.m.The victim suffered non life-threatening injuries after Nelson intentionally hit the victim with a car. Nelson then returned minutes later in a car "driving by firing gunshots toward the victim."

No bullets hit the victim or any other bystanders, but some struck a fence and nearby house.

Police identified Nelson as the suspect and he was located moments later with help from Middletown police. They stopped him as he drove into Coddington Point at 231 Maple Ave. in Newport, police said.

The incident apparently is part of an ongoing dispute between both men who know each other, police said.

"We believe the victim(s) were targeted and this was not a random shooting," Cortes said in the news release.

Nelson is due to be arraigned at a future date.