On a cold January evening in Roanoke, Virginia, the life of 33-year-old Tyiray Lashawn Anderson was tragically cut short. The events of that Sunday, January 23, 2022, unfolded within the confines of a business located in the 500 block of 8th Street NW. It was there that Anderson sustained a fatal gunshot wound, succumbing to his injuries at the scene.
The immediate aftermath of the shooting was marked by a chaotic and dangerous series of events. As Roanoke police officers were beginning their investigation at the scene of the homicide, a vehicle approached and opened fire in their direction before speeding away. This brazen act did not result in any injuries to the officers, but it escalated the sense of alarm and urgency in the city.
The search for the person responsible for Anderson's death and the subsequent shots fired at police led investigators on a multi-state manhunt. The suspect was identified as 21-year-old Eric D. Swain, Jr. Evidence suggested that after the initial violence in Roanoke, Swain embarked on a crime spree that extended beyond the city limits. This included another shooting in Roanoke on Hershberger Road NW that left a woman injured, a robbery at a convenience store in Henry County, and a carjacking in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The string of violent acts came to an end in the early morning hours of the following day. Law enforcement in Greensboro, North Carolina, located and apprehended Swain. He was taken into custody on charges related to the crimes committed in their jurisdiction, including robbery with a dangerous weapon.
Back in Virginia, the Roanoke Police Department secured a warrant for Swain, charging him with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Tyiray Anderson. Following his arrest in North Carolina, Swain was held in the Greensboro Detention Center, awaiting extradition to Virginia to face the charges against him, which also included robbery and using a firearm in the commission of a felony in Henry County. The investigation revealed a timeline of escalating violence that spanned several hours and multiple locations, leaving a trail of victims in its wake. There is no publicly available information detailing the motive for the shooting of Tyiray Anderson or the outcome of the legal proceedings against Eric D. Swain, Jr. for this crime.
