Fatal shooting on Wingate Avenue accounts for second weekend homicide in Albany

ALBANY — Two separate shootings in Albany over the weekend, the most recent in the early hours of Sunday morning, resulted in fatalities, reports from the Albany Police Department show.

The APD responded to 1022 Wingate Ave., Apt. A, shortly after 12:30 a.m. on Sunday to investigate a report of a shooting. Officers found Reco Moore, 38, of Albany, wounded. He was taken to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital where he died from his injuries, said Phyllis Banks, spokeswoman for the APD.

Sophilia Vertraile Willis, 29, of Albany, was taken into custody in connection to the case. She was charged with felony murder, two counts aggravated assault and possession of firearm during the commission of a crime in connection to the shooting, Banks said.

The first fatal shooting took place at 1214 Baker Ave. just before 3:30 a.m. Saturday, resulting in the death of David Arsenio Thomas, 31. Tiffley Nicalo Malone, 28, was booked on charges of murder, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and making a false statement in connection to that incident, police said Saturday.

The shootings of Moore and Thomas are the third and fourth homicides, respectively, so far in Albany this year, according to Albany Police. Jimmie Fennell, 37, was killed at a boarding house on West Tift Avenue on Jan. 6, and Frances Clay, 67, was found dead from an apparent gunshot wound in a residence on Lee Street on Feb. 6.

No further information on either of the shootings was immediately available Monday.