WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A man has pled guilty to second degree murder in the death of a Winston-Salem woman killed in May last year, according to investigators.
According to Winston-Salem police, Traquan Javon Cheeseboro is guilty in the shooting death of Tina Louise Nicholson, 53 on May 13 last year.
Investigators said Nicholson was killed after a group of shooters opened fire on a home in Winston-Salem.
Officers responded to multiple reports of gunfire at the Plaza South Apartments on Ridgeback Drive.
According to Forsyth County officials, reports showed there were between 20 to 30 gunshots fired.
Officials said one caller reported a person being dragged into a white car by three other people.
Investigators found Nicholson dead inside the home with at least one gunshot wound.
Detectives said many people arrived at the home in a car, got out, surrounded the house and then started shooting.
Officers spoke to Nicholson’s husband who said he went to bed around 9:30 p.m. and was awaken by gunshots.
Officials said he then rolled off the bed onto the floor. After the shots stopped, he went into the kitchen and saw several holes in the kitchen door and saw his Nicholson in a position he knew meant she was lying on the floor.
According to officials, two cell phones were found at the scene, and one phone had a photograph of Cheeseboro.
Officials said drops of Cheeseboro’s blood were also found in the cul-de-sac in front of Nicholson’s home.
Cheeseboro was abandoned at the ambulance dock of the pediatric emergency room at Baptist Hospital, according to Forsyth County officials.
Two unidentified people put him on the ground and drove away, officials said.
County officials said the getaway car was reported stolen out of Rockingham County.
Cheeseboro was interviewed initially as a potential victim at the hospital and he claimed to have blacked out and doesn’t know anything other than waking up at the hospital after some guys he didn’t know dropped him off there.
Detectives said he also had an arrest warrant from the FBI out for him at the time of this incident for an unrelated firearm related offense.
According to officials, at least four different guns were fired during the shooting.
One of the suspected shooters was injured in the shooting.
Officials said Cheeseboro was shot at least once in the torso.
Police previously said they have evidence he was shot during the incident on Ridgeback Drive by another shooter in the crime.
According to Forsyth County officials, Cheeseboro will face a 180 to 228-month prison sentence on the week of Nov. 7, after a federal hearing.
Stay connected to local, national, and breaking news: Download the WFMY News 2 app.
►Text the word APP to 336-379-5775
