In the fall of 2023, the life of Robert Morton Booker Jr., a 65-year-old Black / African American male, was tragically cut short in what appeared to be a random act of violence. On the evening of October 23, 2023, in Petersburg, Virginia, Booker was fatally shot in the parking lot of a Family Dollar store located at 2075 Crater Road. When law enforcement officers arrived at the scene, they found him deceased.
The Petersburg Police Department launched a murder investigation into the
incident. The seemingly senseless nature of the shooting sent ripples of concern throughout the community, leaving friends and family to grapple with the sudden loss of a man known affectionately by nicknames such as "RJ," "J Bird," and "Booker." Those who knew him remembered him as a kind, charismatic, and funny individual who had worked for Hopewell Water Renewal. He was a father and was looking forward to his retirement.
In connection with the shooting, authorities identified a suspect, leading to a pursuit that ended in Dinwiddie County. The individual taken into custody was 31-year-old Isaiah Dante Tyree of Prince George County. Tyree was subsequently charged with several serious offenses, including first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
