In the late hours of a December night in Norfolk, Virginia, the life of 33-year-old Antwain Desean Curtis was abruptly ended. On December 1, 2023, at approximately 10:32 p.m., police responded to a call about a gunshot victim at a 7-Eleven on West Little Creek Road. Upon arrival, officers found Curtis with a life-threatening gunshot wound. He was quickly transported to a local hospital, but his injury proved fatal, and he died shortly after.
The investigation into the shooting led authorities to identify 29-year-old Javon Jerome Reap as the suspect. Security footage from the convenience store, which captured the incident from multiple angles, was crucial in identifying Reap. The video showed Reap entering the 7-Eleven, approaching the unarmed Curtis, and shooting him once in the chest at point-blank range. The entire tragic event unfolded in a matter of seconds. Further investigation, including cell phone data and Flock surveillance cameras, placed Reap and his vehicle at the scene at the time of the shooting.
Following the shooting, Javon Jerome Reap fled the state of Virginia, prompting a manhunt that concluded with his arrest in New York in March 2024. He was subsequently extradited back to Norfolk in April to face charges. During his trial, Reap claimed he acted in self-defense, alleging that Curtis had threatened him. However, the evidence presented, particularly the clear surveillance footage, contradicted his claim. A jury found Reap guilty of second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of murder. He was later sentenced to serve nearly 22 years in prison for the senseless killing of Antwain Curtis.
