On a Sunday evening in Norfolk, Virginia, the life of 28-year-old Thomas Leroy Hicks was cut short in a burst of gunfire. The male victim was inside a vehicle near the intersection of Church Street and East Princess Anne Road on February 19, 2017, when a violent exchange of bullets erupted between his car and several others. The chaotic scene unfolded shortly before 7:45 p.m., shattering the evening calm.
During the shootout, Hicks' vehicle was struck, causing it to veer off the roadway
and crash into a nearby apartment complex. First responders arrived to a scene of wreckage and violence, finding Hicks inside his car with an apparent gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The tragic incident also left three other people wounded, all of whom were also believed to be inside the vehicles involved in the gun battle.
The three other victims, two adult women and a teenage girl, were transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital for treatment. One of the women was listed in critical condition with a life-threatening gunshot wound, while the other woman and the teenager sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities at the time stated that the shooting appeared to be an isolated incident and that there was no ongoing threat to the public.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, detectives from the Norfolk Police Department launched a homicide investigation. However, they did not release any description of a potential suspect or suspects. Law enforcement officials appealed to the public for any information that could lead to an arrest in the case, encouraging witnesses or those with knowledge of the incident to come forward. Despite the public appeal, online sources available do not contain information regarding any arrests or the identification of any suspects in the years following the death of Thomas Leroy Hicks. The case, as detailed in available online reports, remains without a public resolution.
