On New Year's Day in 2014, a party in Norfolk, Virginia, turned deadly, leaving two men dead and two other people wounded. Among the deceased was Marcus J. Deering, a 22-year-old Black male. The incident unfolded in the early morning hours in the 400 block of Berkley Avenue Extension, where an argument escalated into gunfire.
Norfolk police responded to the scene at approximately 3:08 a.m. and discovered the fatal shooting.
Alongside Deering, 32-year-old Melvin Alston also lost his life in the violent outbreak. A female victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries, and another male victim sought treatment for his injuries in Portsmouth. In the wake of the double homicide, authorities urged the public to come forward with any information that could lead to the capture of the suspect or suspects, who remained at large.
This was not Deering's first encounter with the justice system, though in a different capacity. In 2012, he had been acquitted of a second-degree murder charge in a case that also involved his brother. A jury found him not guilty, citing conflicting testimonies. The tragic end to Deering's life came less than two years after his acquittal, leaving the community to grapple with another act of gun violence. A funeral service for Marcus Deering was held on January 10, 2014. As of the immediate aftermath of the shooting, no arrests had been made in connection with his death.
