In the early morning hours of February 9, 2025, the city of Roanoke, Virginia, was disturbed by the sound of gunfire on Orange Avenue NW. Responding to reports of multiple injuries at approximately 1:55 a.m., police officers arrived to a chaotic scene. Among the victims, they found 47-year-old Thomas Leroy Hairston Jr., a Black male from the nearby town of Vinton, suffering from a critical gunshot wound.
He was not alone; a 17-year-old male was also discovered with life-threatening injuries.
As the investigation unfolded, a clearer picture of the violent encounter began to emerge. Authorities determined that the 17-year-old was the primary aggressor, having produced a firearm and opened fire, injuring Hairston and at least two other men. One of the other victims, in an act of self-defense or retaliation, returned fire and struck the teenage suspect. A third man was found at the scene with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, and a fourth individual, also believed to be connected to the incident, later sought medical treatment for his injuries.
For nearly three weeks, Thomas Leroy Hairston Jr. fought for his life. However, his injuries proved too severe, and he succumbed to them on February 28, 2025. The investigation into his death continued, with law enforcement identifying the 17-year-old as the main suspect in the shooting. While charges against the teenager were pending, they were contingent upon his physical recovery from the gunshot wound he sustained. The case remains an ongoing investigation as the community grapples with the violent loss of one of its members.
