On the evening of December 5, 2020, a trip to a Wawa convenience store in Suffolk, Virginia, turned fatal for 18-year-old Torico Reaves Jr. of Virginia Beach. The male teenager was in the parking lot of the establishment located in the 2900 block of Godwin Boulevard when gunfire erupted at approximately 6 p.m. Shortly after the report of shots fired, Reaves arrived at a local hospital with life-threatening gunshot wounds.
Despite medical efforts, he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.
The Suffolk Police Department immediately launched an investigation into the shooting. Their efforts led to the arrest of a 17-year-old male suspect on December 11, 2020. Due to his age, the suspect's name was not initially released to the public. He was formally charged with second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The investigation remained active as authorities continued to seek information from the community to piece together the events of that tragic evening.
Following a grand jury direct indictment, the suspect was identified as Marques Jauron Boneparte of Suffolk. The decision was made to try the then 17-year-old as an adult. The charges against him were extensive and included second-degree murder, felony homicide, shooting in the commission of a felony, distribution of marijuana, and several other firearm-related violations. After his initial arrest, Boneparte was held in the custody of the Chesapeake Detention Center.
