Noah Mekhi Cheeseman, a 15-year-old boy from Williamsburg, Virginia, was killed on March 29, 2026, after gunfire broke out at Lafayette Square Apartments in James City County. Police were called to the 100 block of Dehaven Court at about 6:32 p.m. after reports of shots fired. When officers arrived, they found Noah suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.
He was taken to Riverside Regional Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
What began that evening as a conflict between young people ended with Noah’s life cut short. James City County Police said they believed the shooting stemmed from an altercation between Noah and the suspects before shots were fired. Authorities also said the incident appeared to be isolated, suggesting they did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the wider community. Within a day, the investigation had moved quickly from the scene of the shooting to arrests and formal charges.
Three suspects were arrested in connection with Noah’s death. Omari-Ahmad T. Martin, 18, of Williamsburg, was charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. A 17-year-old boy from York County was charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a juvenile. A 16-year-old boy from James City County was also charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a juvenile. Martin was held at Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail without bond, while the two juveniles were remanded to Merrimac Juvenile Detention Center.
In the days after the shooting, grief gathered around the place where Noah was killed. Community members filled Lafayette Square Apartments for a vigil, holding candles and green balloons as they mourned a teenager remembered as loved, kind, and full of promise. His grandmother, Sanchia Johnson, spoke through heartbreak, calling the killing senseless and saying it was not okay. Others who had lost loved ones to gun violence stood with Noah’s family, urging the community to put the guns down and support one another before more young lives were taken.
Noah had attended Warhill High School and played football. His family remembered him as someone with determination and a presence that inspired people around him. At the vigil, relatives and neighbors made it clear that they did not want his name to fade into another statistic. They wanted him remembered as a child, a student, an athlete, and a member of the community whose future was taken in a moment of violence.
As of the available reports, the case remained an active investigation following the arrests of Martin and the two juveniles. Police asked anyone with additional information to contact James City County Police Dispatch, the Crime Line, or submit an anonymous tip through p3Tips. The charges filed in the immediate aftermath centered on second-degree murder and firearm offenses, but no trial outcome or conviction information was available in the sources reviewed.
