On the night of July 3, 2023, Jalaun Latavis Colbert, a 28-year-old male, was standing outside his home on Hollister Avenue in Norfolk, Virginia, smoking a cigarette. At approximately 10 p.m., a car approached, and multiple shots were fired. Colbert was struck several times. His mother and their dog were inside the residence at the time but were unharmed.
He was rushed to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries six days later on July 9, 2023.
The events that culminated in the fatal shooting began a couple of hours earlier at a 7-Eleven in Virginia Beach. An argument erupted between Colbert and two other men, Leon Malek Williams and Bryston Alexander Davis. The dispute was reportedly initiated after Williams' girlfriend arranged for Colbert's girlfriend to meet at the convenience store. During the heated confrontation, both Williams and Davis allegedly brandished firearms at Colbert and his girlfriend before they drove away. Following this altercation, Williams, Davis, and an unidentified third individual drove to Colbert's home.
Norfolk Police detectives utilized doorbell camera footage from a neighbor's home and surveillance video from the 7-Eleven to piece together the sequence of events. The investigation led to the swift identification and arrest of two suspects. Leon Malek Williams, then 23, and Bryston Alexander Davis, then 21, were taken into custody within weeks of the shooting. Both were initially charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm.
Leon Malek Williams later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and using a firearm in the commission of murder. He was sentenced to 19 years in prison, with 14 years suspended. Bryston Alexander Davis went to trial and was convicted by a jury of conspiracy to commit murder, using a firearm in the commission of murder, and shooting into an occupied dwelling. He received a sentence of 12 years in prison, with eight years suspended. Both men are also required to serve several years of supervised probation upon their release and are prohibited from contacting Colbert's family. The Commonwealth's Attorney noted that the prosecution faced challenges due to a lack of willing witnesses but persevered to hold both men accountable for their roles in Colbert's death.
