In the late hours of September 28, 2024, a burst of violence shattered the night at the LaFayette Gardens apartments on Richmond's Southside, leaving a young man's life cut tragically short. Malcom Randolph Coleman, a 29-year-old Black/African American male known to many in the local music scene by his stage name 'Mack Ben Widdit,' was found in the parking lot with a gunshot wound. The incident, which occurred just before 9:55 p.m.
in the 2200 block of Ruffin Road, marked another grim statistic in the city's ongoing struggle with gun violence.
Emergency responders rushed Coleman to a nearby hospital in critical condition, but his injuries proved to be too severe. He succumbed to the gunshot wound later that night, his death ruled a homicide. Another individual, who has not been publicly identified, also sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound in the same incident and self-transported to a different hospital. Investigators believe a party may have been taking place at the apartment complex prior to the shooting, with many people present at the scene when the shots were fired.
The Richmond Police Department's Major Crimes unit immediately launched an investigation into the fatal shooting. Despite the presence of numerous potential witnesses, the case has remained a difficult one for detectives. As of the most recent updates, no arrests have been made in connection with Malcom Randolph Coleman's death, and authorities have not publicly identified any suspects. The investigation is ongoing, and police have continued to appeal to the public for any information that could lead to a breakthrough in the case and bring a measure of justice to a grieving family and community.
