In a tragic turn of events on November 14, 2021, Drosvin F. Escobar, a 30-year-old male, was fatally shot in Norfolk, Virginia. The incident, which unfolded around 12:00 p.m. in the 1300 block of Strand Street, also resulted in the injury of another man.
Responding to a report of a gunshot victim, Norfolk Police officers arrived at the scene to find Escobar suffering from a gunshot wound. Despite immediate medical attention, he was pronounced deceased at the location.
The second victim, a 26-year-old man, sustained a non-life-threatening gunshot wound and was transported to a hospital for treatment.
The investigation into the shooting, described by detectives as a domestic-related incident, quickly led to a suspect. Jose J. Gutierrez-Chavez, 21, of Norfolk, was arrested and charged in connection with the crime. The charges against him included second-degree murder, malicious wounding, and two counts of use of a firearm.
Further details revealed that Gutierrez-Chavez was the son of Escobar's longtime girlfriend. On the day of the shooting, Escobar and Gutierrez-Chavez were talking at the front door of Escobar's apartment when Gutierrez-Chavez suddenly pulled out a revolver and fired multiple shots. Escobar was struck multiple times in the torso, and the other man, who was his sister's boyfriend, was hit in the foot. Authorities later reported that Gutierrez-Chavez had recently been put out of the residence due to erratic behavior.
Following his arrest the next morning, with the revolver still in his possession, Gutierrez-Chavez admitted to the shooting. However, the legal proceedings took a different direction. After a mental health evaluation, Jose Jonathan Gutierrez-Chavez, then 24, was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the second-degree murder of Drosvin Fernando Perez Escobar and the malicious wounding of his sister's boyfriend. He was subsequently ordered to remain in custody at a state mental health facility for treatment.
