In the autumn of 2017, a violent encounter at a Henrico, Virginia car wash tragically cut short the life of Kevin Lamont Barnes Jr., a 28-year-old male. On the evening of October 21st, Barnes was one of two victims in a double shooting that erupted in the 500 block of North Laburnum Avenue. The incident left another man with non-life-threatening injuries, but for Barnes, the wounds proved fatal.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, leaving behind a community to grapple with the sudden loss.
The investigation into the shooting quickly pointed to a single suspect, a 19-year-old named Dajon Baskerville. Within days of the incident, law enforcement officials had secured warrants for his arrest. Baskerville faced a slate of serious charges, including murder, malicious wounding, and two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. The community was on edge as the search for the teenage suspect commenced, with authorities appealing to the public for any information that could lead to his capture.
Following a period as a wanted fugitive, Dajon Baskerville was apprehended and brought to justice for his role in the deadly shooting. In the subsequent legal proceedings, he was tried and convicted for the murder of Kevin Lamont Barnes Jr. and the related charges. For his crimes, Baskerville was sentenced to a total of 40 years in prison, with 18 of those years suspended. This left him with a 22-year active sentence to be served in a Virginia correctional facility, bringing a measure of closure to the family and friends of Kevin Lamont Barnes Jr.
