On the day before Thanksgiving, November 22, 2023, a tragedy unfolded at a Rally's restaurant in Hampton, Virginia, cutting short the life of 17-year-old Brian Maurice Fullerton. An employee at the fast-food establishment on West Mercury Boulevard, the young man was shot and killed during his shift.
The incident began as a physical altercation between Fullerton and another male. The confrontation escalated when the other individual brandished a firearm and shot the teenager.
First responders rushed Fullerton to a local hospital, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. In the immediate aftermath, the Hampton Police Division launched a homicide investigation and began a search for the person responsible for the young man's death.
For several months, the case remained in the public eye as authorities worked to identify a suspect. In December 2023, the Hampton Police Division publicly identified 25-year-old Elijah James-Sanders of Newport News as the suspect and issued warrants for his arrest. The charges against him included second-degree murder, burglary with the intent to commit assault, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, discharging a firearm in an occupied building, and wearing a mask in public. Despite being considered armed and dangerous, James-Sanders remained at large.
The search for the suspect concluded on February 26, 2024, when Elijah James-Sanders voluntarily surrendered to the Hampton Police. He turned himself in at the Pat G. Minetti Public Safety Building without incident. Following his arrest, court documents revealed a more detailed account of the events leading to Fullerton's death. According to the criminal complaint, surveillance footage showed James-Sanders entering the restaurant wearing a black mask. The complaint alleges that he initiated a physical altercation with Fullerton 'without provocation.' During the fight, James-Sanders' firearm reportedly fell from his waistband, and when he reached for it, the weapon discharged, striking Fullerton in the head. The documents also indicated that James-Sanders had been at the restaurant the day prior to the shooting, inquiring about an employee's work schedule while a gun was visible on his hip. Following his arrest, James-Sanders was scheduled for an arraignment. Information regarding the outcome of a trial or any subsequent conviction has not been made publicly available.
