On a tragic Friday evening, February 5, 2021, the life of 23-year-old Keilo Anton Martin of Martinsville, Virginia, was cut short. A dispute that began inside the El Norteno Restaurant on East Church Street quickly escalated into a violent altercation. In the ensuing chaos, gunfire erupted within the bar area, and Martin, along with 33-year-old Shavon Lamont Reid, also of Martinsville, was fatally shot before police could arrive at the scene.
The violence spilled out into the
restaurant's parking lot. A third individual who fled the initial confrontation was pursued by two armed men who opened fire on him. A nearby Martinsville Police Officer on patrol heard the gunshots and immediately responded. The officer confronted the two gunmen and fired, striking one of them. The two armed men then retreated back into the restaurant, where approximately a dozen patrons and 20 employees were still present. Additional law enforcement from the Martinsville Police, Virginia State Police, and the Henry County Sheriff's Office swarmed the scene, securing the restaurant and safely evacuating everyone inside.
The investigation into the double homicide led by the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation resulted in the identification and arrest of two suspects. Jamal Emun Jenkins, 24, of Collinsville, was charged with first-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and willful discharge of a firearm in a public place resulting in a death. A second suspect, 20-year-old Rosario Nasiar Eggleston of Martinsville, was charged with aggravated malicious wounding, conspiracy to commit aggravated malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and willful discharge of a firearm in a public place resulting in a death. Two other men were hospitalized with gunshot wounds they sustained during the incident.
