The start of a three-day jury trial for a man accused in the 2024 shooting death of a teenage girl outside Mount Trashmore has been delayed after too few jurors appeared in court Wednesday.
Markal Cook is charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in connection with the deadly shooting of Jeyani Upshur. She was 15 years old when she was found shot to death in a parking lot outside the Mount Trashmore summer carnival during Memorial Day weekend.
Cook pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning in Virginia Beach Circuit Court.
Jury selection was set to begin, but the process was halted when only 23 of 35 summoned jurors reported for duty — not enough to move forward. Court officials blamed the shortage on a new notification system that began earlier this month…