On a summer evening in Lynchburg, Virginia, a meeting between two men escalated into a fatal encounter that ended the life of 33-year-old Estevez Marez Cabell. Known to his friends and family as 'Stevie,' Cabell, a Black male, had arranged to meet Malik Ray-Shawn McDaniel to play basketball on June 28, 2022. The two met in the parking lot of the Salvation Army on Park Avenue, but the intended basketball game never took place. Instead, an argument broke out between them.
The dispute quickly turned deadly when McDaniel brandished a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and fired approximately six shots at Cabell, striking him in the chest and arms. McDaniel then fled the scene in a vehicle, leaving Cabell unresponsive in the parking lot. Emergency services transported Cabell to Lynchburg General Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead.
The Lynchburg Police Department swiftly identified McDaniel as the primary suspect, aided by eyewitness accounts and video surveillance from the Salvation Army. A manhunt for the 25-year-old, who was considered armed and dangerous, ensued. The search concluded the following day when authorities located McDaniel at a residence on Georgia Avenue in Lynchburg. After a brief standoff, he was taken into custody. Investigators recovered a 9mm handgun from the home, which was later confirmed to be the weapon used in the shooting.
In September 2023, Malik Ray-Shawn McDaniel pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a murder. He was subsequently sentenced to more than 21 years in prison. Specifically, he received a sentence of 21 years and 11 months to serve for the murder charge, with an additional mandatory minimum of three years for the firearm offense. Upon his release, McDaniel will be subject to supervised probation and a lengthy period of good behavior.
