On the evening of June 21, 2026, a Father's Day gathering in Virginia Beach, Virginia, turned tragic, culminating in the death of 55-year-old Daryl Sherwood. Emergency services received a call about a shooting at approximately 8:13 p.m. in the 2100 block of West Kendall Circle. Upon arrival, police officers discovered Daryl Sherwood with multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The victim was a male, and the subsequent investigation into his death would reveal a complex and fraught family dynamic that erupted in violence.
The investigation quickly led to the arrest of Daryl Sherwood's 25-year-old son, Dylan Sherwood. Dylan was charged with voluntary manslaughter and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. According to court documents, Dylan admitted to shooting his father after a physical altercation. The incident reportedly began after Daryl Sherwood became heavily intoxicated and aggressive during the family gathering. Witnesses, including Dylan's brother, Ryan Leopold, testified that Daryl had thrown Dylan to the ground and threatened to kill him. Another witness, Paula Sherwood's former husband, Ricky Leopold, stated that Daryl had also assaulted him, breaking his nose.
During a bond hearing, a video was presented that showed Paula Sherwood, Daryl's wife and Dylan's mother, attempting to de-escalate the situation between her husband and son. The video captured a shirtless Daryl Sherwood pushing past his wife and charging toward Dylan, who was off-camera, followed by the sound of several gunshots. Dylan's defense attorney argued that his client acted in self-defense, fearing for his and his mother's safety. Paula Sherwood testified that this was the worst she had seen her husband in their 30 years together and that he had been yelling threats to kill Dylan through his bedroom door just before the shooting. Dylan Sherwood, who has no prior criminal record, was granted a $10,000 bond with pretrial monitoring and was ordered to live with his brother. The case was moved to the Juvenile and Domestic Relations court, and as of the latest reports, Dylan Sherwood is awaiting trial. The case presents a narrative of a family celebration that devolved into a fatal confrontation, with the son claiming his actions were a necessary response to his father's escalating aggression.
