In the summer of 2019, a burst of gunfire shattered the evening calm in Norfolk, Virginia, leaving two men fatally wounded inside a parked car. The incident, which occurred on July 25, 2019, in the 6500 block of North Military Highway, claimed the life of 23-year-old Tamian Davis. Another man, Markee Lavell Turner, 29, also died as a result of the shooting. Emergency services were called to the scene around 7:45 p.m. following reports of a gunshot disturbance.
Upon arrival, police discovered both Davis and Turner suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite medical attention, both men succumbed to their injuries.
The investigation into the double homicide led Norfolk police to two suspects approximately two months after the shooting. On September 26, 2019, authorities arrested 34-year-old Alphonzo L. Smith of Portsmouth and 23-year-old Laquann C. Pooler. The motive behind the deadly encounter was not immediately released by detectives. The arrests brought a measure of progress in a case that had left the community seeking answers.
Following their apprehension, both Smith and Pooler faced charges related to the deaths of Davis and Turner. Smith was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, robbery, and using a firearm in the commission of a felony. Pooler was charged with being an accessory after the fact. Both men were taken into custody and held at the Norfolk City Jail without bond, awaiting further legal proceedings. The circumstances that led to the fatal shooting remained under investigation as the judicial process began to unfold for the two men accused in the crime.
