In the early hours of a summer Sunday in Richmond, Virginia, the life of 24-year-old Erik R. McCorkle was cut short by gunfire. On July 24, 2016, at approximately 2:44 a.m., Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University police responded to reports of a shooting in the 1300 block of West Broad Street. Inside the common area of an apartment building, they found three people suffering from gunshot wounds. All three victims were transported to a local hospital, but McCorkle succumbed to his injuries. A male and a female victim were also wounded in the incident but were expected to recover.
Investigators believed the shooting stemmed from an argument between two groups of people. The incident was not thought to be connected to the nearby university, and none of the victims were students there. Community assistance played a crucial role in the investigation, helping detectives to identify key witnesses and move the case forward. This cooperation led to a significant development in the case just over a month later.
On August 24, 2016, Richmond Police detectives arrested 20-year-old Tavario E. Gates of Chester, Virginia, in connection with the homicide. Gates was charged with several felonies: conspiracy to commit murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a concealed weapon. Following the arrest, the authorities expressed their gratitude for the public's help in making an arrest and bringing a measure of resolution to the case. The legal proceedings against Gates, however, took an unexpected turn as he himself was killed in a separate incident in May of 2019, before a final resolution in the case of Erik McCorkle's death could be reached. There have been no public announcements of any other arrests or suspects in this case.
