In the quiet town of Stuart, Virginia, a fatal encounter unfolded on the evening of Sunday, January 26, 2020, claiming the life of 27-year-old Damien Lamont Hairston. The male victim was found with a single gunshot wound in the parking lot of the True Gospel Baptist Church on Salem Highway. Though on church grounds, the incident was unrelated to the church's activities, as it was not in service at the time.
Instead, the parking lot served as the prearranged meeting place for what would become a deadly exchange.
Investigators determined that the meeting was set up for a drug transaction. Damien Hairston, along with 19-year-old Acya Danelle Hagen and a 17-year-old juvenile, had allegedly planned to rob the other individuals they were scheduled to meet. The other group consisted of 18-year-old Lonnie Deandre Reynolds, 18-year-old Jermaine “Jay” Davis Penn Jr., and 20-year-old Stephen Coby Gravely. The situation escalated quickly once the two groups met, leading to an exchange of gunfire. The first shot was reportedly fired from the vehicle carrying Reynolds and Penn. In the ensuing chaos, Hairston was fatally wounded.
In the days following the shooting, law enforcement officials made a total of five arrests in connection with the homicide. Lonnie Deandre Reynolds was charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, discharging a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school, and reckless handling of a firearm. Jermaine “Jay” Davis Penn Jr. faced charges of second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, shooting within 1,000 feet of a school, and shooting from a motor vehicle so as to endanger the lives of others.
Acya Danelle Hagen was arrested and charged with robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, possession with intent to distribute more than a half-ounce of marijuana, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Stephen Coby Gravely was charged with possession with intent to distribute more than a half-ounce of marijuana. The 17-year-old juvenile involved was also charged with conspiracy to distribute more than a half-ounce of marijuana and conspiracy to commit robbery. The investigation was a collaborative effort involving the Patrick County Sheriff's Office, Henry County Sheriff's Office, Martinsville Police Department, and the Virginia State Police.
