On a tragic Fourth of July in 2019, Delvon Depree Freeman, a 37-year-old man, was fatally shot in Newport News, Virginia. The incident that cut his life short reportedly stemmed from a trivial matter. Freeman had been at a holiday cookout at a residence in the 600 block of 36th Street. According to accounts from witnesses relayed by his mother, an altercation arose because Freeman had not greeted another man, Philip Andre Ross, upon his arrival at the gathering.
As the situation
escalated, Freeman attempted to leave to avoid a confrontation. However, before he could depart, he was shot. His friend, who was also at the cookout, drove him to a local hospital, but Freeman ultimately succumbed to his injuries later that night. The shooting was described by his family as a senseless act of violence. Freeman was remembered as a loving family man and a giving person who was a former student of the Newport News Public School System and worked as a carpenter. He was the father of four children.
The day after the fatal shooting, police arrested 32-year-old Philip Andre Ross in connection with Freeman's death. Ross was charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and discharging a firearm within an occupied dwelling.
