Man held without bond in fatal shooting

A man accused of shooting and killing a 19-year-old woman will be held without bond on a charge of first-degree murder.

David Van McDowell, 24, is accused of shooting and killing Zanayah White, with whom he has a 2-year-old son, according to White's family.

McDowell is alleged to have shot White May 18 at her home in Gastonia because he wanted to look through her phone, and she refused him, Assistant District Attorney Kristen Northrup said during McDowell's court appearance on Tuesday.

White and McDowell's child was present in the home when White was shot, Northrup said.

When McDowell fled the home, another family member tried to stop him, and he is accused of shooting that person in the face, Northrup said.

Latoya White, Zanayah White's mother, said that the second person shot was her fiance, 31-year-old Keith Tate. Tate is recovering in the hospital, but the bullet blew off one of his lips and took some of his teeth.

McDowell is expected to face further charges in connection with the second shooting, Northrup said.

In addition to the charge of first-degree murder, McDowell faces four charges of failure to appear in court.

McDowell initially asked to hire his own attorney, but when attorney Rick Beam stood up and told him that it could cost as much as $200,000 to hire one for the charge he was facing, he instead asked to be appointed a public defender.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Man held without bond in fatal shooting