In the late afternoon of August 21, 2023, the life of 22-year-old Daysjon Jarmar Yasper was tragically cut short in a violent incident in Newport News, Virginia. Yasper, a Black male, was driving his silver compact car near the intersection of J. Clyde Morris Boulevard and Warwick Boulevard, in the vicinity of Christopher Newport University, when he was shot. The vehicle, after the shooting, overturned approximately 50 yards from the intersection. Emergency services, responding to reports of shots fired around 3:30 p.m., arrived to find Yasper with at least one gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene shortly before 4 p.m.
The immediate investigation by Newport News police led to the arrest of a passenger who had been in the vehicle with Yasper. The suspect was identified as 22-year-old Treveon Kevin Samuels. According to the victim's family, Samuels was not just an acquaintance but was considered Yasper's best friend and was like family to them. In a heart-wrenching turn of events, the person they had welcomed into their home was accused of this violent act. Samuels was taken into custody at the scene of the crime and subsequently charged with second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
The community was left to grapple with the sudden and senseless loss of a young man known affectionately as 'Pops.' In the days following his death, Yasper's family held a vigil to honor his memory, a gathering filled with grief over a life ended by gun violence. His obituary noted the sad irony that he passed away near the very hospital where he had been born. The family expressed their shock and devastation, stating that Yasper had a concealed carry license and a firearm in the car but did not have a chance to defend himself, as he likely never anticipated an attack from his trusted friend.
