'I'll never be at peace.' Bridgeport police make arrest in shooting that killed innocent bystander
Winston lost her life in the early morning hours of Aug. 17 while hanging out with friends on Stratford Avenue, between Union and Carroll avenues.
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This week was a hard one for Tamekah Rudd - it marked four months since a drive-by shooting in Bridgeport killed her daughter, an innocent bystander. But on Friday, police arrested the alleged killer of Brandaja Winston, 28.
“If you want to call it a sense of calm, yeah, but not peace. I'll never be at peace. I just won’t,” Rudd told News 12 after she watched the man accused of her daughter’s murder go before a judge.
Terence Gallimore, 34, showed no emotion as he was arraigned in Bridgeport Superior Court on charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree assault, criminal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of weapons in a motor vehicle and illegal possession of an assault weapon.
“As if he could care less,” Rudd said, explaining what went through her mind seeing Gallimore. “’Wow’ is what I said to myself.”
Winston lost her life in the early morning hours of Aug. 17 while hanging out with friends on Stratford Avenue, between Union and Carroll avenues. The group was “socializing peacefully” on the sidewalk before heading home from a night out, Detective Jeffrey Holtz said.
“Terence Gallamore indiscriminately fired an assault-style rifle from inside a vehicle at that crowd. Brandaja Winston, and the male victim were unintended targets,” Holtz stated.
Gallamore was on parole at the time of the shooting, according to court records. He also has a pending case on charges, including strangulation and assault, as well as multiple prior convictions in drug, gun and assault cases.
“Any homicide is heinous, but this homicide was especially heinous,” Holtz told News 12. “It enraged the East End community, and they were very helpful in solving this case.”
Holtz also commended the department’s Homicide Unit, Major Crimes Unit and Video Retrieval Unit.
Winston was a graduate of Bridge Academy who went on to study at Southern Connecticut State University. She was working for the Bridgeport Housing Authority when she died.
“The love she had was bigger than life,” Rudd said, describing her daughter.
It's something the family misses every day.
“We're getting through only by the grace of God. It’s hard,” Rudd explained. “Of course, our lives will never be the same.”
The arrest comes not only ahead of Christmas but also just before Winston’s birthday. She would’ve turned 29 on Dec. 31.
A judge set Gallimore's bond at $2 million and said 30% of the bond - $600,000 - must be deposited in cash to the court in order to be released. Gallimore’s next court date is Jan. 7.
Holtz told News 12 the case isn't closed and more arrests are possible.
