A summer afternoon turned tragic in Petersburg, Virginia, on July 2, 2022, when 19-year-old Toni Knight was shot and killed. Known affectionately as 'Stinka' to her loved ones, Toni was returning from a grocery store with her young nieces when gunfire erupted at the Petersburg Artist Space Lofts on Perry and Brown Streets around 12:15 p.m. While carrying in groceries with plans to cook and do her nieces' hair, she was caught in the crossfire.
Knight was struck in the chest and was
pronounced dead at the scene. In the midst of the chaos, her 12-year-old niece was grazed by a bullet. Two other adults, a man and a woman, were also shot and transported to area hospitals. The scene grew tense as a crowd gathered, prompting a significant police response from multiple jurisdictions to control the area.
In the days following the shooting, the Petersburg Bureau of Police announced an arrest. Nineteen-year-old Delvin Mitchell was taken into custody and charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in connection with Knight's death. Detectives continued to investigate whether any other individuals were involved in the fatal shooting.
