On a tragic evening in Newport News, Virginia, the life of 13-year-old Jada Richardson was cut short by a senseless act of violence. It was April 6, 2015, and Jada was attending a birthday party on the 800 block of W. 25th Street. The celebration turned into a scene of horror when gunfire erupted, fatally wounding Jada and 17-year-old Domingo Santiago Davis Jr. Police were called to the scene at approximately 10:25 p.m.
where they found the two teenagers deceased from their injuries.
Investigators quickly suspected the shooting was gang-related, a belief fueled by the criminal history of Domingo Davis Jr. The Newport News Police Chief, Richard W. Myers, stated that the shooting was likely a retaliatory act and warned of the potential for further violence. The initial investigation was hampered by uncooperative witnesses at the scene of the crime. In the wake of the tragedy, Jada's aunt, Shoten Howard, made a public plea for any information that could lead to the capture of her niece's killers.
The investigation into the murders of Jada Richardson and Domingo Davis eventually led to a sweeping federal case against a violent street gang known as the 36th Street Bang Squad. A federal jury convicted seven members of the gang on a host of charges, including racketeering conspiracy, murder, attempted murder, and drug trafficking. The trial revealed that the gang engaged in numerous acts of violence to target rivals and bolster their reputation in the community.
Among those convicted was Martin L. Hunt, who, along with three other members of the gang, opened fire on the crowd outside the Newport News home where the party was being held. Ballistic evidence connected a 9mm firearm that Hunt had acquired a month prior to the casings found at the murder scene. For his role in the deaths of Jada Richardson and Domingo Davis, as well as other violent crimes, Hunt was sentenced to multiple life sentences in prison. The convictions of the 36th Street Bang Squad members brought a measure of justice to the families of the victims and marked a significant victory for law enforcement in their ongoing battle against gang violence in the Newport News area.
