On the evening of April 30, 2025, the life of 63-year-old Regina Banks was tragically cut short in Virginia Beach, Virginia. A resident of the city, Ms. Banks was found by police officers around 10 p.m. on Harbinger Road, suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite the immediate response, she succumbed to her injuries at the scene. Bullet holes later seen on the front door of a residence and shattered glass on the ground served as grim reminders of the violence that had unfolded.
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investigation quickly identified a suspect: 42-year-old Deric Lee Jr., who was reported to be Ms. Banks's ex-boyfriend. What followed was a dramatic, multi-city police chase. Lee fled the scene in a gray Lexus sedan, leading law enforcement on a high-speed pursuit through Norfolk, Chesapeake, and Portsmouth. The chase ended when Lee crashed his vehicle at a dead end on Fawkes Street in Portsmouth and fled on foot into a wooded area.
After an intensive manhunt involving multiple law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshals and Virginia State Police, Deric Lee Jr. was apprehended the following afternoon. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. It was also reported that Lee had a prior conviction from 2012 on charges that included attempted first-degree murder. In court, Lee pleaded not guilty to the charges related to the death of Regina Banks.
Regina Hawkins Banks, born on November 16, 1961, was remembered as a devoted mother to her three children and a doting grandmother to her seven grandchildren. A graduate of Maury High School in Norfolk, she had been a dedicated employee at Elevance Health for over two decades. Her interests included cooking and listening to music, but her greatest joy was her family.
