On July 23, 2026, the life of 33-year-old De’Shaviya Donnisha Jerry was cut short in her own home at the London Oaks Apartments on High Street in Portsmouth, Virginia. For hours, no one was aware of the tragedy that had unfolded. It wasn't until that afternoon, around 4:15 p.m., that police responded to a call about a deceased person and found Ms. Jerry. An investigation later determined she had sustained a single gunshot wound. Her sister, Brianna Noel, made the heartbreaking discovery after growing concerned when she couldn't reach De'Shaviya all day. Noel found her sister in her apartment, seemingly asleep on the couch, but upon pulling back the blanket, she realized the devastating truth.
Investigators quickly began to piece together a timeline of events, believing the homicide was connected to an unreported shooting that had occurred nearly nine hours earlier, around 7:30 a.m., in the 2500 block of High Street, just a block away from where Ms. Jerry's body was found. For a time, the case remained without arrests, and authorities appealed to the public for any information that could shed light on the hours between the morning shooting and the discovery of the mother of four. The mystery of what transpired during those missing hours and who was responsible for her death was a primary focus for law enforcement.
The investigation gained significant momentum, and eventually, two teenaged boys were arrested in connection with the fatal shooting. The Portsmouth Police credited the use of public safety technology, including gunshot detection systems and license plate readers, along with surveillance footage from local businesses, in identifying and locating the suspects. Both high-school-aged individuals were charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and several other firearm-related offenses. The case against the two teenagers represents a significant step in the pursuit of justice for De'Shaviya Donnisha Jerry, whose death was the result of a violent act that began with an unreported shooting and ended with a family grieving an immeasurable loss.
