On a Saturday evening in Norfolk, Virginia, on May 30, 2020, a 30-year-old man named Shelvin D. Alston was shot and killed. The incident occurred around 7:20 p.m. in the 1100 block of Oaklawn Avenue, in the Broad Creek area of the city. When police officers arrived at the scene, they found Alston suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the location.
The investigation into Alston's death led to the arrest of Michael A.
Faulkner, then 36 years old, approximately a month later on June 29, 2020. He was initially charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm. However, these charges were dismissed during a preliminary hearing in the General District Court. For nearly two years, the case saw little public movement.
A significant development came on June 1, 2022, when a grand jury indicted Faulkner on charges of first-degree murder, use of a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in connection with Alston's death. Faulkner was re-arrested on June 13, 2022. The case proceeded to a two-day trial where prosecutors presented evidence, including surveillance footage from a convenience store. The footage reportedly showed an argument between Faulkner and Alston. Prosecutors stated that after bystanders tried to de-escalate the situation and Alston walked away, Faulkner got into his white SUV and drove in Alston's direction. A few blocks away, Alston was shot four times. An eyewitness reported seeing someone matching Faulkner's description getting into the passenger side of a white SUV that then drove away from the scene.
On September 13, 2023, a jury found Michael Faulkner guilty of first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. He was scheduled to be sentenced on December 1 of that year.
