In the early hours of March 20, 2015, the quiet of a Norfolk neighborhood was shattered by the sound of gunfire. Just after 12:30 a.m., dispatchers received a call about a gunshot victim in the 1600 block of Vernon Drive. When police arrived at the scene in the Diggs Town area, they found 39-year-old Johnny Williams suffering from a gunshot wound. He was a male resident of Norfolk.
Williams was rushed to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he died at the hospital.
Norfolk Homicide Detectives immediately began an investigation into Williams's death, which they classified as a homicide. The investigation moved swiftly, and by that afternoon, a suspect was in custody. At approximately 2:00 p.m. on the same day, the Norfolk Police Fugitive Squad, in conjunction with the U.S. Marshals Task Force, located and arrested 29-year-old Jermaine Rogers. The arrest was made without incident in the 900 block of Randolph Street in the neighboring city of Portsmouth.
Following his arrest, Jermaine Rogers was charged with several felonies in connection with the death of Johnny Williams. The charges brought against him included Second-Degree Murder, Attempted Malicious Wounding, and two counts of Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Felony. The shooting raised concerns among residents of the community, which is home to many families and children. Investigators were seen gathering evidence from a playground and other areas within the housing community as they worked to piece together the events that led to the tragic death of Johnny Williams.
