In the late afternoon of February 3, 2021, a citizen's 911 call shattered the quiet of a Danville, Virginia neighborhood. The caller reported a man lying in the 600 block of Cabell Street, suffering from what appeared to be a gunshot wound. When police and emergency services arrived at the scene, they found 21-year-old Jaylan Kevon Fitzgerald, who had already succumbed to his injuries. Fitzgerald, a male resident of Danville, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Born on January 17, 2000, he was a father to a young son named Legend Cartier Fitzgerald.
The Danville Police Department swiftly launched a homicide investigation, and through what they described as strong community support, a suspect was quickly identified. Investigators determined that the killing was not a random act of violence and that Fitzgerald knew his attacker. Their investigation led them to a house in the 300 block of Bell Drive, where a heavy police presence and the SWAT team were utilized to execute a search warrant.
Law enforcement officials initially sought 19-year-old Avion Burton, who was considered armed and dangerous. On February 10, 2021, investigators arrested a second suspect, 20-year-old Earlquan Williams, at his home in Danville and charged him with second-degree murder in connection with Fitzgerald's death. The search for Burton continued for another month until he was apprehended without incident at a house in Danville on March 4, 2021. He was also charged with second-degree murder and held in the Danville City Jail without bond. While two suspects were in custody, police indicated that they could not rule out the possibility of a third person's involvement in the crime.
