On a Sunday evening in Newport News, Virginia, the life of 18-year-old Elijah Damonte McLean was tragically cut short. On April 29, 2018, McLean was the passenger in a gold sedan traveling on 37th Street around 9:30 p.m. when a black sedan pulled up alongside the vehicle. Gunfire erupted from the black sedan, with multiple shots striking McLean.
The driver of the car McLean was in, who was not injured, drove about a block away from the scene of the shooting before stopping.
Police and medics arrived to find the young man, who had recently started a new job at Busch Gardens and had just purchased a car, unresponsive. Elijah Damonte McLean was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. His family, who described him as a great kid with a beautiful smile, were left devastated by the sudden and violent loss.
In the wake of the shooting, the Newport News Police Department launched an investigation into the homicide. The black sedan involved in the drive-by shooting fled the scene immediately after the incident. Despite appeals to the public for information, investigators have been unable to identify any suspects, and no description of the shooter or shooters has been released.
To date, no arrests have been made in connection with the murder of Elijah Damonte McLean. The case remains unsolved, leaving a grieving family and community still seeking answers and justice for the young life that was taken. The Newport News Police Department continues to encourage anyone with information regarding the shooting to come forward.
