In the spring of 2020, a tragedy unfolded in a Norfolk, Virginia, home, leaving two young people dead and a community in mourning. On the evening of April 9th, police were dispatched to a residence in the 2600 block of Colonial Avenue to conduct a wellness check. What they discovered inside would soon become a somber headline.
Upon entering the home, officers found the bodies of 26-year-old Rexford B. Tomlinson and 23-year-old Amarea Ware.
Both had suffered from what appeared to be gunshot wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene by medics. Tomlinson was a Black/African American male. The initial shock of the discovery gave way to a thorough investigation by the Norfolk Police Department.
As detectives delved into the circumstances surrounding the deaths, the case was initially treated as a homicide. However, as the investigation progressed, it was determined to be a murder-suicide. The evidence gathered at the scene led authorities to conclude that there were no other individuals involved in the tragic incident. Consequently, the police were not searching for any suspects, and no arrests were made in connection with the case. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was tasked with making the final determination on the manner and cause of both deaths, bringing a sad conclusion to the investigation.
