On a summer afternoon in Hampton, Virginia, what began as a simple car repair turned into a fatal encounter for 18-year-old Damoni Daishawn Sawyer. On July 7, 2017, Sawyer and a 19-year-old companion, Ryan Ray Taybron, were working on the bumper of their black Dodge Avenger in the area of 52nd Street and Rotary Street. It was then that a silver Chrysler 300 or a similarly styled vehicle approached them, and unknown individuals from within the car opened fire.
Both Sawyer and Taybron were
struck by gunfire. Emergency services were dispatched to the scene at approximately 1:16 p.m., where they found the two young men lying on the ground with gunshot wounds. They were both transported to a local hospital for treatment. Tragically, Damoni Daishawn Sawyer succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. Taybron, having sustained a single gunshot wound, survived the attack.
Hampton police authorities stated that the shooting did not appear to be a random act of violence, suggesting that the victims may have been targeted. Investigators also noted at the time that both Sawyer and Taybron were known to the police and were uncooperative in providing a consistent account of what had transpired.
Despite the description of the suspect vehicle, no arrests have been publicly announced in the years following the shooting. The case of Damoni Daishawn Sawyer's death remains an open and unsolved homicide. The Hampton Police Division continues to list it among its cold cases, with the perpetrators who cut short the young man's life yet to be brought to justice.
