Winchester police investigating Sunday homicide

Winchester police are investigating a homicide after a city man was fatally shot multiple times Sunday night.

Winchester spokeswoman Amy Simmons stated in a press release that the shooting occurred at 10:53 p.m. on Sunday, December 23 in the 300 block of Smithfield Avenue.

The release stated that when officers arrived on the scene, victim Jerry Wayne Reid, Jr., 40, was found inside his home, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.

Winchester Fire and Rescue units transported Reid to Winchester Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Police say there were two witnesses were home at the time of the shooting, described by police as “a roommate and an acquaintance.”

Investigators say they do not currently have a motive or a suspect in the crime; they believe the shooting was an isolated incident.

According to witnesses on Smithfield Avenue, three masked people were attempting to break into houses along that street before coming to Reid’s home. When the alleged burglars kicked in the door of Reid’s home, witnesses say Reid confronted them and was subsequently shot.

Police say this is the first homicide in the city since 2015, when Nija Johnson, of Winchester, was indicted on January 24, 2015, on a second-degree murder charge related to the deather of her infant daughter, Natalia Johnson.

The Winchester Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Department at 540-662-4131 or the anonymous tip line at 540-665-TIPS.