In the early evening of November 3, 2021, a burst of gunfire shattered the peace in the Young Terrace neighborhood of Norfolk, Virginia, leaving a devastating toll. Among the victims was Nicole Lovewine, a 45-year-old woman, whose life was tragically cut short in an act of domestic violence that also claimed the lives of two other women and left two more wounded.
The tragic events unfolded when Ziontay Palmer, 19 years old at the time, arrived in the neighborhood. He was the boyfriend of Lovewine’s 19-year-old daughter, Angel LeGrande, who was pregnant with his child. An argument had reportedly taken place between the young couple, leading to Palmer being asked to leave their shared apartment. When he returned, he found LeGrande and her mother, Nicole Lovewine, and opened fire. LeGrande was shot and wounded, and when her mother rushed to her aid, she too was fatally shot.
The violence escalated as others tried to intervene. Detra Brown, Lovewine's 42-year-old partner, and a 44-year-old neighbor, Sara Costine, were also shot and killed as they attempted to help. Another neighbor who came out to check on her children after hearing the gunshots was also wounded. The shooter fled the scene, leaving a scene of chaos and grief in his wake. Many children in the neighborhood, including Lovewine's own young son, witnessed the horrific event.
In the aftermath, law enforcement quickly identified Ziontay Palmer as the suspect, and he was taken into custody a short time after the shooting. He was subsequently charged with three counts of second-degree murder, two counts of malicious wounding, and multiple firearm charges. The community was left to mourn the loss of three women, remembered by friends and family as kind and loving individuals. In November 2023, a jury convicted Palmer on multiple charges, including aggravated murder.
