Antonio M. Sherman, an 18-year-old from Lynchburg, Virginia, was a talented and promising young man known for his leadership qualities and skills on the basketball court. A recent graduate of Heritage High School in the class of 2014, Antonio, a Black/African American male, had been a standout player, earning the title of Second Team All-District during the 2013-2014 school year. His aunt remembered him as "always a leader, never a follower." Shortly after graduating in June, he moved to Richmond, seeking new opportunities. His former coach and teammates were devastated by his sudden death, remembering a young man with a bright future.
On the night of October 18, 2014, Antonio was attending a "stripper party" at an apartment on Westover Hills Boulevard in South Richmond. The gathering, hosted by Christina Johnson, had approximately twenty-five people in attendance, with a bar, music, and dancers. In the early hours of October 19, an argument broke out.
The dispute escalated into gunfire, creating a chaotic and tragic scene. During the altercation, multiple firearms were discharged. Antonio, who his family said was an innocent bystander, was sitting on a couch when the shooting started. He was struck by a single bullet in the left side of his back. He managed to get up and collapse onto a bed in a back bedroom before help could arrive.
When Richmond Police responded to the scene, they found a grim aftermath. Antonio Sherman was pronounced dead. Another man, 24-year-old Elijah D. Gee, was found deceased on the front steps of the apartment building. The party's host, a 19-year-old female, was discovered in her bedroom with a life-threatening gunshot wound to her abdomen; she was rushed to the hospital and ultimately survived her injuries. Investigators recovered extensive evidence from the apartment, including nine-millimeter cartridge casings, a nine-millimeter bullet recovered from Antonio's body, and .40 caliber cartridge casings, indicating at least two different guns were fired.
The Richmond Police Department's investigation into the double homicide quickly led to suspects. One man, Rashard Sanders Cutler, was arrested and charged. His trial revealed complex details about the night's events, with arguments over who fired the fatal shots. In the end, a jury convicted Cutler of second-degree murder for Antonio's death, malicious wounding for the injury to the 19-year-old woman, and two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony. His conviction was later upheld by the Virginia Court of Appeals in December 2019.
A second suspect, Dajon Johnson of Henrico, was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force on October 31, 2014. Richmond Police charged him with conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the shootings. Court testimony later revealed that Johnson had fired a .40 caliber firearm into the air during the altercation inside the apartment.
In the wake of Antonio's death, his community in Lynchburg rallied to support his grieving family. A GoFundMe page was created to help with funeral expenses. A "celebration of life" event, hosted by the organization Self-Help Obtaining Positive Opportunities (SHOPO), was held at the Jefferson Park Neighborhood Center, where Antonio had once mentored other children. The event included a pot-luck meal and a basketball tournament in his honor. In January 2015, his memory was honored at a basketball game between his alma mater, Heritage High School, and their rival, E.C. Glass. Players from both teams wore warm-up shirts dedicated to "King Sherman," and a moment of silence was held before the game. The case is considered solved with the convictions of those involved.
