Barrington Anthony Brown, a 62-year-old Black male, was a well-regarded business owner and a resident of the Virginia Peninsula for 32 years, having originally come from Jamaica. He was known as a beloved husband, father, and grandfather.
On the afternoon of August 8, 2019, tragedy struck at his restaurant, Dunn's River Jamaican and Caribbean Restaurant in Newport News.
Barrington Anthony Brown and another man, 55-year-old Akhi Ar-Rad Abdul Haqq Murad, were shot and killed inside the establishment. The incident left the local community in shock, mourning the loss of two of its respected members.
Within minutes of the shooting, police apprehended a suspect, Darrell Keith Chaney Jr., who was 37 years old at the time, about a block away from the restaurant. Chaney was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, use of a firearm while committing a felony, and discharging a firearm inside a building.
The legal proceedings that followed took a significant turn in September 2020 when Darrell Keith Chaney Jr. was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Following this verdict, he was committed to the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute for treatment. After a period of treatment where he reportedly showed significant progress, Chaney was granted a conditional release in April 2024. This decision was met with strong opposition from the families of both Barrington Anthony Brown and Akhi Ar-Rad Abdul Haqq Murad, who expressed their grief and anger over his release. The case brought attention to the complexities of mental health within the criminal justice system.
