On the first day of 2022, a New Year's Eve bonfire party in Spring Grove, Virginia, ended in tragedy with the shooting death of 20-year-old Tramaz Tynes. The celebration, held in the 8600 block of Ellis Road, was attended by a large crowd estimated to be over 200 people. In the early morning hours, at approximately 12:30 a.m., chaos erupted as gunfire rang out.
When Prince George County police officers arrived at the scene, people were rapidly dispersing.
Officers discovered two gunshot victims on a grass field. Tramaz Tynes, a resident of Surry County, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The second victim, 22-year-old Devon Clanton of Dinwiddie County, was transported to VCU Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into the double homicide led to an arrest later that month. On January 20, 2022, the Prince George County Police Department took 20-year-old Maurice Taylor Jr. of Portsmouth into custody in connection with the death of Devon Clanton. Taylor was charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, reckless handling of a firearm, obstruction of justice, threatening to kill or injure, and brandishing a firearm.
While an arrest was made in the killing of the other victim, the investigation into the death of Tramaz Tynes continues. Authorities have not publicly identified a suspect or announced any arrests specifically in connection to his murder. Police have urged anyone with information regarding the incident to come forward, confident that the large number of attendees means there were witnesses to the shootings. A Google Drive was even established for individuals to anonymously submit photos or videos from the party that might aid the investigation.
