Cordale Williams, 31, of Wheeling has been charged with attempted murder after police said he fired a gun at another man in a downtown Wheeling parking lot Thursday morning.
Williams was booked into the Northern Regional Jail in Moundsville on charges of attempted murder and wanton endangerment involving a firearm. As of late Friday, he had yet to post the $70,000 cash-only bond set by Ohio County Magistrate Joe Roxby.
According to a police report, Charles Waldrum, also known as "MoonDog," alerted officers to shots being fired near the 7-Eleven at 14th and Market streets about 1:30 a.m. Thursday. After witnesses told officers Williams was the one who pulled the trigger, Williams lifted his shirt to show he was not in possession of a gun and then tried to leave the scene.
Officers stopped Williams and then approached David Lee, who reportedly was holding the handgun he claimed Williams used to shoot at him. Lee said he and Williams were fighting over a girl prior to the shooting, and Williams abandoned the gun in the parking lot before officers arrived.
"Lee told his girlfriend, Chasity Beasley, to tell (Williams) that she wanted to be with Lee not (Williams)," the report states.
Officers secured the gun from Lee and placed it in the trunk of the police cruiser. Lee and Williams were fighting when Williams allegedly retrieved a gun and chambered a round, the report continues. Lee was running from the parking lot when Williams allegedly shot at him. Lee told police he then turned around to witness Williams drop the gun.
A store employee told police he observed two men fighting, but did not know either of their names. He said he watched one man run while the other retrieved a handgun. The employee then heard a single gunshot.
A preliminary hearing in the case has been scheduled for 1 p.m. July 2 before Ohio County Magistrate Harry Radcliffe. Williams is expected to be appointed a defense attorney Monday.
