In the summer of 2021, the life of 22-year-old Camron Malike Jones was tragically cut short in a violent encounter in Lynchburg, Virginia. On June 1, 2021, Lynchburg police were dispatched to an apartment on Fort Avenue after a distressing 911 call was received. The emergency dispatcher could hear screaming before a woman, later identified as Amia Thurman, cried out and was shot.
The line remained open, capturing the horrifying final moments of Jones's life as he pleaded for his life before multiple gunshots rang out. An officer who was near the apartment complex heard the gunshots and saw a man leaving the scene. The man, identified as Devan Wooding, ignored the officer's commands to stop, got into a vehicle, and fled.
A high-speed chase ensued through the streets of Lynchburg, ending on Rivermont Avenue and N. Princeton Circle where Wooding was taken into custody. Inside the apartment, officers found Thurman, who had been shot in the face but survived her injuries. Camron Jones was found to have sustained eight gunshot wounds and succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
Devan Wooding was subsequently charged with the first-degree murder of Camron Jones and the attempted murder of Amia Thurman. In July 2024, Wooding was sentenced to life in prison plus 43 years, with 20 years suspended. His convictions included first-degree murder, use of a firearm, attempted murder, use of a firearm in a second offense, breaking and entering with the intent to commit murder while armed with a deadly weapon, and possession of a firearm by a violent felon. The court ordered him to serve a mandatory minimum of 13 years for the firearms offenses and to maintain good behavior for 50 years upon any potential release, in addition to three years of supervised probation.
