In the summer of 2019, a young man's life was tragically cut short in a parking lot in Hampton, Virginia. Myzhe Lewis, a 20-year-old male, was shot and killed on July 2, 2019, following a dispute. The incident unfolded in the evening, at approximately 8:34 p.m., in the 2400 block of West Mercury Boulevard. When police arrived at the scene, they discovered Lewis suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the location.
Another adult male was also found nearby with gunshot wounds that were not considered life-threatening.
Investigations into the shooting revealed that the violence erupted after a verbal altercation between two groups of people in the parking lot of a Wawa convenience store. This argument escalated to gunfire being exchanged between the parties. In the days following the shooting, the Hampton Police Division made arrests in connection with the homicide.
Two men, Jaquan Devonta Cooper, then 23, and Samuel Cooper, then 29, were arrested and faced charges for the murder of Myzhe Lewis. Jaquan Cooper was charged with murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, shooting into an occupied vehicle, possession of a firearm with drugs, and distribution of marijuana. Samuel Cooper was charged with murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, shooting into an occupied vehicle, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to the two men charged with murder, authorities also sought the public's assistance in locating a woman, 19-year-old Karina Espinosa, who had an active warrant for one count of felony obstruction in relation to the case.
