Street Gang Member Sentenced to 13 Years for Painter Residence Shooting
Zyshon Riakeem Bell, a 24-year-old member of the Makk Balla Family street gang, has been sentenced to 13 active years in prison by the Accomack Circuit Court. The sentencing follows a 2023 drive-by shooting at a residence in Painter, Virginia, where Bell fired numerous shots into a house occupied by five people, including three children. The incident was reportedly an act of retaliation for two murders. Although no one was physically injured, bullets struck and entered the dwelling, terrorizing its occupants. Judge Lynwood Lewis described the circumstances as "horrific," noting Bell's previously clean record. Bell, also known as "Problem," pleaded guilty last year to six violent crimes, including shooting at the house, shooting from a vehicle, two counts of using a firearm in a felony, and actively participating in a street gang. Eight other charges were not prosecuted as part of a plea agreement with Commonwealth’s Attorney Spencer Morgan, which stipulated a sentence between eight and 18 years. Bell has a... 
