In the quiet of a Saturday morning on January 30, 2016, in Norfolk, Virginia, tragedy struck the home of 43-year-old Sonya Hunter. Around 9 a.m., a call was made to the police reporting a shooting in the 7900 block of Westcliff Drive. When officers arrived, they found Sonya outside her residence, lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. She was rushed to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, but tragically succumbed to her injuries later that afternoon.
Inside the home, police took
the victim's 22-year-old son, Shawn Hunter, into custody without incident. He was subsequently charged with second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. During the investigation, it was revealed that Sonya was protecting other children, relatives between the ages of 4 and 8 who were unharmed, from the gunfire when she was shot. Testimonies from Shawn's siblings indicated that their mother was eating when she told Shawn not to do something, which precipitated the fatal shooting. Shawn fired multiple shots, hitting his mother in the heart, liver, and arm.
The motive for the shooting remained unclear, though reports surfaced about Shawn's history of mental health struggles. His godmother described him as a distant individual whose mental health problems appeared to worsen over time, including hearing voices and having a distrust of others. Despite these issues, Shawn Hunter was found competent to stand trial. In November 2017, he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and a related weapons charge. As part of a plea agreement, he received the maximum sentence of 17 years and four months in prison. While expressing their love for their brother, Shawn's siblings also acknowledged the danger he posed to their family and society.
