In the summer of 2018, a domestic tragedy unfolded in the quiet community of Afton, Virginia, ending in the violent death of a young woman. On Sunday, August 12, 2018, 29-year-old Alexia S. Lockett was found deceased inside her residence on Avon Road in Nelson County. She had been fatally shot shortly before 11 a.m. while getting ready for work, having just stepped out of the shower. The man responsible for her death was identified by Virginia State Police as her 40-year-old cousin, Anthony M.
Hutchinson of Waynesboro. The motive for the shooting was not immediately clear to Lockett's grieving family.
Following the fatal shooting of his cousin, Hutchinson fled the scene in a vehicle, sparking a multi-county police response. An Amherst County Sheriff's deputy later spotted Hutchinson's car and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. Hutchinson refused to comply and sped away, leading to a pursuit that ended when his vehicle crashed. As deputies approached the crashed car, Hutchinson opened fire, striking one of the officers.
In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, deputies returned fire, striking Hutchinson. He died at the scene of the shootout. The injured deputy's injuries were not considered life-threatening. In accordance with standard procedure, three deputies involved in the shooting were placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation. The investigation encompassed both the initial homicide of Alexia Lockett and the subsequent officer-involved shooting that resulted in the death of Anthony Hutchinson.
