On the late evening of Thursday, June 4, 2026, the life of 33-year-old Antwan DeShawn Bell was tragically cut short by gun violence in Portsmouth, Virginia. Just before midnight, at approximately 11:53 p.m., police were dispatched to the 1100 block of Virginia Avenue following reports of a shooting. Upon their arrival, officers discovered a chaotic scene with two individuals suffering from gunshot wounds.
One of the victims was transported to a local hospital for medical attention, but the other, identified as Antwan DeShawn Bell, was found unresponsive. Despite the efforts of emergency responders, he was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The investigation into Bell's death revealed a wider circle of violence that night. As officers were processing the scene on Virginia Avenue, they learned that a third person connected to the same shooting had independently sought treatment at another nearby hospital for a gunshot wound. The violence in the area was not isolated to this single event. Around the same time, another shooting was reported approximately a mile away in the 2700 block of Peach Street, where police found an adult male with a gunshot wound who was then hospitalized. However, authorities stated that they had no immediate reason to believe the two shootings were connected.
In the aftermath of the shooting that claimed Antwan DeShawn Bell's life, the Portsmouth Police Department began an intensive investigation. As of the most recent reports, authorities have not publicly identified any suspects or made any arrests in connection with the homicide. Details regarding a potential motive or the circumstances that led to the shooting have not been released to the public. The case remains an active and open investigation, with law enforcement appealing to the community for any information that might lead to a breakthrough. Consequently, there have been no charges filed, no trials conducted, and no convictions or sentences handed down, as the individuals responsible for the death of Antwan DeShawn Bell have not yet been brought to justice.
