In a tragic turn of events on November 24, 2017, Corey David Hunter, a 34-year-old male from Newport News, Virginia, was fatally shot. The incident unfolded in the evening, around 8:20 p.m., in the first block of Prince William Road. When police and paramedics arrived at the scene, they found Hunter on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. He was rushed to a local hospital but succumbed to his injuries en route.
The events leading to the deadly confrontation began with a domestic
dispute between Michael Robert Paparelli and his girlfriend. The girlfriend called her friend, Stefani Gavalya, claiming she had been assaulted by Paparelli. Hunter, who had recently started dating Gavalya, accompanied her to Paparelli's home to help her friend. An altercation ensued between Hunter and Paparelli, which escalated to the point of gunfire.
Following an investigation into the shooting, Michael Paparelli was arrested in May 2018 and faced charges in connection with Hunter's death. Initially, he was charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The case went to trial, and the charge was later specified as voluntary manslaughter. The prosecution argued that the shooting was an unnecessary act of violence, while the defense contended that Paparelli acted in self-defense during the physical altercation.
In December 2022, after a trial, a jury deliberated for a short time before acquitting Michael Robert Paparelli of the voluntary manslaughter charge. The jury sided with the defense's argument that Paparelli's actions were in self-defense. Those who knew Corey David Hunter remembered him as a devoted father with a passion for working with children, particularly through his coaching at a local boxing club, and for promoting MMA fights.
