On the night of May 31, 2020, 20-year-old Hector Martinez Jr. was fatally shot at a gas station in Hampton, Virginia. A Black male, he had been at a party and was heading home when he stopped at the Miller Mart on Coliseum Drive and West Mercury Boulevard to get gas. He was with several friends at the time.
Around 1:30 a.m., an incident at the gas pumps escalated, leading to a shootout. Multiple individuals opened fire, hitting Martinez and another person.
Medics pronounced Hector Martinez Jr. dead at the scene. The second victim was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The Hampton Police Division is investigating the case as a homicide. During their investigation, they released surveillance footage of a white car leaving the gas station just before the shooting occurred. However, the individuals responsible for the shooting have not been identified, and no arrests have been made. Hector's mother, Shawnte Gwathney, has spoken about the immense pain of her loss and the difficulty of knowing that those who killed her son are still at large. The police continue to seek information from the public and have offered a reward for any tips that lead to an arrest.
