In the late afternoon of December 30, 2020, a shopping center on the east side of Tucson, Arizona, became the scene of a fatal encounter. Inside a laundromat in the 7400 block of E. 22nd St., 32-year-old Justin Gervon Chavis was shot. The sound of gunfire prompted calls to the police at approximately 3:00 p.m. When officers arrived, they found bystanders attempting to help Chavis.
Emergency personnel, including police officers and Tucson Fire personnel, rendered aid to the wounded man
before he was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital. Despite their efforts, his injuries proved to be life-threatening, and Justin Gervon Chavis was pronounced deceased at the hospital. Homicide detectives immediately began an investigation into the shooting, working to uncover the events that led to the violence.
The investigation soon revealed that Chavis had gone to the shopping center with the intention of conducting a drug deal with two other men. This information provided a crucial lead for detectives. The day after the shooting, on December 31, 2020, police located 19-year-old Darrel Dequann Ingram on Tucson's East Side. After speaking with detectives, Ingram was arrested and booked into the Pima County Jail.
The investigation continued to progress, and a second suspect was identified as 19-year-old Herald Phillip Lauterio. He was also taken into custody. Both Ingram and Lauterio were charged with Murder, Aggravated Robbery, and Armed Robbery for their alleged roles in the death of Justin Chavis. As the case moved forward, detectives announced they were also working to identify a potential third suspect involved in the fatal incident.
