On a Sunday night, February 3, 2013, the life of 23-year-old Kendrick M. Downing was tragically cut short. A Black male, Downing was at a social gathering in the 5300 block of Marlfield Drive in Norfolk, Virginia, when an altercation broke out. Police were called to the scene around 11 p.m. for reports of a shooting.
Upon their arrival, officers discovered Downing on a porch, suffering from a gunshot wound.
He was rushed to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal, and he died shortly after arriving. Investigators initially considered the possibility that the wound was self-inflicted, but further investigation revealed that an argument had occurred between Downing and another man at the gathering, leading to the fatal shot being fired.
The investigation quickly led to a suspect, 38-year-old Bryan Joseph Sweatt of Chesapeake. The two men were reportedly guests at the same event but did not know one another prior to the incident. On February 4, 2013, just a day after the shooting, Sweatt was taken into custody by the Norfolk Police Department.
Bryan Joseph Sweatt was subsequently charged with murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. His arrest marked a swift development in what was the city's fourth homicide of the year. The case then moved into the legal system for prosecution.
