In the early hours of October 26, 2019, the life of 19-year-old Xyqwavius 'Qway' Brown was tragically cut short in the Hybla Valley area of Alexandria, Virginia. A Black / African American male, Brown was at his grandmother's apartment when he received a phone call that lured him outside. He walked out of the residence and never returned. Around 12:30 a.m., multiple gunshots were heard at the Meadow Woods Apartments on Fairchild Drive. Police responded to the scene and found Brown near a breezeway, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Officers rendered aid until rescue personnel arrived, and he was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The investigation into Brown's death quickly revealed that it was not a random act of violence. Detectives learned that the day before the shooting, Brown and two other individuals had allegedly robbed Melvin Palma-Flores of marijuana. During this robbery, Palma-Flores reportedly pulled out a semi-automatic handgun but did not use it. In the hours that followed, Brown is said to have taunted Palma-Flores on Snapchat for not defending himself. Less than an hour before the fatal shooting, Brown allegedly sent a video to Palma-Flores, further mocking him.
The investigation pointed to Melvin Palma-Flores as the primary suspect. Cell phone records placed him near the scene of the crime around the time of the shooting. Witnesses also reported seeing Palma-Flores at the apartment complex with his girlfriend and another man shortly before the murder. It is believed that Palma-Flores and his accomplices lured Brown out of his apartment under a false pretense, at which point Palma-Flores shot him multiple times before fleeing.
On February 19, 2020, Melvin Palma-Flores was arrested and faced federal charges, including possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking resulting in death and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. While incarcerated, he also faced a charge of witness tampering for attempting to influence a witness's testimony. In September 2022, Palma-Flores was found guilty on all charges and was sentenced to 45 years in prison for the murder of Xyqwavius Brown.
