On a tragic summer day in Hampton, Virginia, the life of a young Black woman, Alexis Renee Berro, was cut short. The 20-year-old female was found deceased on July 25, 2019, in a residence on Findley Square. Her death occurred during a tense and volatile situation that involved an armed man and a significant police presence. The events of that day unfolded into a heartbreaking conclusion, leaving a family to mourn and a community in shock.
The incident began in the early morning hours
when Hampton police received a distressing call about a man inside the Findley Square home who was armed and experiencing a mental health crisis. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the situation to be perilous, with the armed man barricaded inside the residence. Alexis Berro was also known to be inside the home with him. The gravity of the circumstances prompted a large-scale police response, including the deployment of the SWAT team and crisis negotiators, in an effort to de-escalate the situation and bring it to a peaceful resolution.
Despite their attempts to communicate and negotiate with the man, the situation took a devastating turn when several gunshots were fired from within the house. Fearing for the safety of everyone involved, the SWAT team made the decision to enter the home. Once inside, they made a grim discovery: the bodies of both Alexis Berro and the armed man, identified as 25-year-old Diquan Divory Milton. Both had succumbed to fatal gunshot wounds.
Subsequent investigation into the tragic event determined that Diquan Milton was the sole suspect in the death of Alexis Berro. The case was classified as a murder-suicide, with Milton having shot and killed Berro before taking his own life. As a result of this conclusion, no arrests were made in connection with her death. The incident stands as a somber reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic violence and mental health crises.
