James B. Freeman, a 21-year-old Black/African American man, was shot and killed on the night of November 1, 2014, at the Stoneridge apartment complex in Portsmouth, Virginia. The shooting occurred in the 6200 block of Hightower Road in the Churchland area. Shortly after 9:30 p.m., Portsmouth police dispatchers received a report of gunfire in the apartment complex. Officers responding to the scene searched the area and discovered Freeman behind or near a dumpster suffering from gunshot wounds.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
In the immediate aftermath, investigators released little information about what may have led to the shooting. Public reporting did not describe an argument, robbery, confrontation, or other event preceding the gunfire, and authorities did not publicly announce a motive. There was also no publicly released description of the person responsible. The circumstances left Freeman's family appealing to anyone who knew what happened to come forward and help police determine who had killed him.
Freeman's brother, Mark Freeman, described the loss as extending far beyond his immediate family, saying James had been a brother, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend who had touched many lives. Mark remembered his younger brother as someone who could easily make people laugh and smile. He said James had a way of befriending people almost immediately and making those he met feel as though they were family. Others in the Portsmouth community shared similar memories. Freeman had worked at a local Food Lion, and Richard Sweeney, a dentist who worked across the street, recalled the strong impression Freeman's personality made on people who encountered him. Sweeney described him as genuine, humorous and the kind of person people naturally gravitated toward.
As the investigation continued, frustration grew because police still did not have anyone in custody. Approximately two weeks after the killing, WTKR reported that Freeman's killer had not been caught and that police had made no arrests. Mark Freeman publicly pleaded with people who might know something not to remain silent out of fear of being labeled a snitch. His message was that providing information was about helping a grieving family obtain answers and closure after a senseless killing. Police continued asking anyone with information to contact the Crime Line.
Available online reporting reviewed for this synopsis does not identify a publicly named suspect in Freeman's killing or document an arrest connected to his death. No reliable later source located during the search reported criminal charges, a prosecution, trial, guilty plea, conviction, or sentencing stemming from the November 1 shooting. The last detailed contemporary reporting located described the homicide as an ongoing investigation with no arrests, leaving the identity of the person who shot Freeman publicly unresolved.
