A Charleston man who fired through his front door, killing his uncle's girlfriend, has been charged with first-degree murder.
Matthew Rooholahi, 30, of Lakin Street, sighed twice but remained silent as he waited for Kanawha Magistrate Tim Halloran to complete his paperwork in magistrate court Tuesday night. Roohollahi was arrested Tuesday evening and charged after police and prosecutors discussed the fatal early morning incident at length.
After hearing that someone had shot at the home of her boyfriend's relatives, Andrena Smith, 22, went at about 1 a.m. to check on them.
She died when Roohollahi shot her in the chest through the door, Charleston detectives said. Officers believed Roohollahi may have thought Smith was the person who had shot at his home, according to police.
Jonathan Bush, 32, of South Charleston, had allegedly fired several rounds at the home and nearby vehicles on Sunday, according to a criminal complaint filed in Kanawha Magistrate Court. Bush had recently broken up with Roohollahi's sister, the complaint states.
Roohollahi's sister was present Tuesday during the fatal incident, according to the complaint related to Roohollahi.
On Monday, Bush allegedly returned and fired another round toward the house. Roohollahi called police and reported that shooting.
A criminal complaint stated one witness reported seeing a gray van drive down the street in front of the home several times Monday. That witness told police they saw a black man fire several rounds toward the house on two separate occasions. The witness stated that later, at about 1 a.m. Tuesday, he saw a limousine driving past the house and that a single shot was fired from the vehicle.
After the second shooting, the witness reported seeing Roohollahi and another man walking up the street toward the home. Roohollahi was allegedly carrying a rifle with a mounted scope.
"Matthew made the statement that he was ready if Jonathan was to return," the complaint reads.
Several minutes after the last shooting, the witness told police he went to the home to check on Roohollahi. The witness announced himself several times to make his presence known, according to the criminal complaint. Roohollahi allegedly opened the door, pulled the witness inside and took him up the stairs that are in front of the home's door.
Roohollahi laid down on the floor and pointed the rifle at the door while looking through the scope, said the witness who was standing above him. Roohollahi allegedly fired one round, which struck Smith in the chest.
"[The witness] said he heard no noises at the door and that no one was attempting to break into the house before Matthew fired the fatal shot," the complaint states.
Officers were on their way to investigate the shootings when Smith arrived at the house and was shot.
Detectives worked with the Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney's Office to determine if and what charges are appropriate, Charleston police Lt. Steve Cooper said Tuesday evening.
"I discussed this case all day long with Chuck Miller, Don Morris and Maryclaire Akers of the Kanawha County Prosecutor's Office, and it was deemed that this is the appropriate charge for the crime that was committed," Cooper said.
Miller, Kanawha County Prosecuting Attorney, asked detectives earlier Tuesday to put together a report for prosecutors to analyze before they decided whether charges are appropriate. He said initially it could take a few days to know whether any charges would be filed, in part because of the number of people that were in the home at the time of the shooting.
"There were so many people that saw bits and pieces of it or were there," Miller said. "It's hard to make a decision without getting statements and interviewing each one of them."
Bush has been charged with wanton endangerment. Police arrested him Tuesday morning at Preston Funeral Home in downtown Charleston, where he drove a limousine. He had two pistols in his waistband when officers found him in the funeral home's garage, according to the complaint. Bail was initially set at $125,000 cash only, but was raised to $250,000 later Tuesday by Kanawha Magistrate Kim Aaron.
Bush admitted to shooting toward the Lakin Street house, the complaint says.
Bush is the brother of Dominic Clark, who was shot and killed on Oct. 23 in the 500 block of Ohio Avenue. Darius Coles, 18, of Fourth Avenue, was arrested on Oct. 28 and accused of the shooting. Cooper said the incidents are not related.
Beginning in 2005, Bush faced multiple misdemeanor drug charges in Kanawha County. Most were dismissed. He pleaded guilty last year to conspiring to deliver crack cocaine, a felony, but it was dismissed this year after he completed a drug court program, court records show.
Roohollahi was a summer intern at the Kanawha County Public Defender's office in 2012 and 2013, said the office's chief, Diana Panucci. He worked there while he was in law school, she said. According to his Facebook page, Roohollahi attended the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Virginia. Cooper said he now works at Pies & Pints restaurant.
On Oct. 10, Roohollahi wrote in a public Facebook post that he had finally passed the bar exam.
"After 10 years of hard work I am officially an attorney!!!!!" he wrote.
Roohollahi is being held at South Central Regional Jail without bail. His felony preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov.18 in Kanawha Magistrate Court.
Staff writer Kate White contributed to this story.
Reach Rachel Molenda at rachel.molenda@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5102, or follow @rachelmolenda on Twitter.
Reach Erin Beck at erin.beck@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5163, Facebook.com/erinbeckwv, or follow @erinbeckwv on Twitter.