Malik Earle, a 20-year-old male, tragically lost his life in the early morning hours of a Saturday in March 2014, the victim of a triple shooting in Norfolk, Virginia. The incident, which unfolded in the Ingleside neighborhood, also left two other men wounded, one of them critically. Preliminary investigations suggested that the men had been attending a party in the area before the gunfire erupted.
Responding to a call about a gunshot victim, Norfolk police and paramedics arrived at the
900 block of Trice Terrace to find three men suffering from gunshot wounds. Malik Earle was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other two victims were transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital for treatment. The initial police statements did not release the names of the other victims or provide details about a potential suspect or motive.
Just two days after the fatal shooting, the Norfolk Police Department announced a significant development in the case. Thirty-two-year-old Donte Brehon was arrested and charged with murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in connection with Earle's death. He was taken into custody and held at the Norfolk City Jail without bond.
Further investigation into Donte Brehon's activities revealed his association with the Nine Trey Gangsters. In a broader federal case against the gang, Brehon, also known as 'Dog Nutz,' pleaded guilty to charges of being an accessory after the fact to assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, as well as to the distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin. He was subsequently sentenced to 13 years in prison for his role in the gang's violent and criminal enterprises that plagued the Hampton Roads area.
