On a spring afternoon in Norfolk, Virginia, the life of 18-year-old Antonio Royale Wilson was tragically cut short in a burst of violence outside a convenience store. On April 8, 2023, Wilson entered the Shop 'N Go on East Virginia Beach Boulevard, where he exchanged a friendly greeting with another man inside. This seemingly innocuous encounter would set in motion a fatal chain of events.
The three men who had been in the store, TyJohn Lavon Brooks, Cevan Orinoel Pierce Jr., and
Da'Shaun Jamil Robinson, were seen on surveillance footage talking amongst themselves after Wilson entered. They then exited the store and lay in wait for him. As Wilson left the store and rounded the corner of the building, the three men confronted him. Brooks pointed a gun at Wilson's head while Pierce and Robinson also drew their weapons. When Wilson appeared to reach for his own firearm, all three men opened fire, striking him multiple times in the side and head. As Wilson lay mortally wounded, Pierce stole his firearm before fleeing the scene with Brooks. Robinson fled separately in a car. Wilson was transported to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Investigators quickly identified Brooks and Pierce from the surveillance footage, as both were known to law enforcement due to prior gang affiliations. Brooks was apprehended in South Carolina just two weeks after the murder. Pierce was arrested the following month after a police pursuit on Interstate 64. Robinson, who had worn a ski mask during the attack, was identified through DNA evidence found on the mask, which was recovered from the getaway car. He was taken into custody in September 2023.
All three men faced a litany of charges, including murder. Da'Shaun Robinson and TyJohn Brooks both ultimately pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Cevan Pierce Jr. was found guilty of first-degree murder, murder by mob, and robbery causing death by a jury. In February 2025, a judge sentenced Pierce to 68 years in prison. Brooks and Robinson were each sentenced to serve 30 years.
