In the quiet Rappahannock Landing subdivision near Fredericksburg, Virginia, the afternoon of October 11, 2023, was shattered by the sound of gunfire. When deputies from the Stafford County Sheriff's Office arrived at the 200 block of Streamview Drive around 2:45 p.m., they found 42-year-old Derrick Campbell, a Black / African American male from Stafford, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite the immediate life-saving efforts of the first responders, Campbell was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to a single suspect, 42-year-old James Allen Wright Jr. of Spotsylvania County. Detectives determined that the shooting was not a random act of violence, as Campbell and Wright were known to each other. The nature of their acquaintance was not immediately made public. The investigation to locate Wright was intensive, with law enforcement executing search warrants and gathering evidence. The search for the suspect extended beyond Virginia, with detectives traveling to Maryland and Washington, D.C. to follow leads.
Just two days after the fatal shooting, on the morning of October 13, 2023, James Allen Wright Jr. was taken into custody by the Stafford County Sheriff's Office. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Wright is being held without bond at the Rappahannock Regional Jail. Authorities have suggested that more charges could be forthcoming as their investigation into the death of Derrick Campbell continues.
