In the early morning hours of February 5, 2023, a violent encounter in Portsmouth, Virginia, claimed the life of 51-year-old Calvin Joyner, a Black male, and his twin brother, Alvin. The tragic events unfolded around 3:30 a.m. in the Prentis Park neighborhood on Nashville Avenue. Calvin, his brother, and a 61-year-old female companion were in Alvin's SUV when they gave a ride to two individuals, later identified as Joseph Cross and Shamoine Briggs.
The situation took a grim turn when
Cross allegedly produced a firearm and demanded money from the occupants of the vehicle. After the female victim handed over $22, Cross reportedly opened fire, shooting all three individuals. Calvin Joyner and his brother Alvin succumbed to their injuries at the scene. The female victim was critically wounded but survived by pretending to be dead. She later provided crucial testimony to the police, communicating through a whiteboard due to injuries to her jaw that left her unable to speak.
Four days after the shooting, authorities apprehended 31-year-old Joseph Cross and 30-year-old Shamoine Briggs. The suspects faced a litany of charges, including first-degree murder, malicious wounding, robbery, carjacking, and arson. In an attempt to destroy evidence, Cross allegedly set Alvin Joyner's SUV on fire less than a mile from the crime scene. A search of Briggs' apartment reportedly uncovered guns and suspected heroin.
During the investigation, Joseph Cross confessed to the shootings, claiming he shot Alvin first and then Calvin when he lunged at him. He stated he shot the female victim because he feared she would report the crime. However, during his trial, Cross presented a different narrative, asserting that he acted to protect his girlfriend from the Joyner brothers' alleged aggression. The surviving victim's testimony contradicted this, as she maintained that Cross demanded money before he began shooting. In September 2025, a jury found Joseph Cross guilty on all charges, including two counts of first-degree murder and aggravated malicious wounding. The aggravated murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence.
