In the afternoon of November 18, 2012, a day that would forever be etched in the memory of his family, 13-year-old Lamonee Johnson-Chisholm was walking with a friend in Newport News, Virginia. The eighth-grader at Enterprise Academy was near a convenience store at 28th Street and Roanoke Avenue when his life was tragically cut short. A single gunshot struck him in the back, an act of violence that sent shockwaves through the community. Even in his final moments, the young boy's thoughts were of his mother, whom he called for help, uttering the heartbreaking words, 'Mommy, they shot me. You gotta come find me.' Despite his efforts to flee, Lamonee collapsed three blocks away and succumbed to his injuries. His 15-year-old friend was also wounded in the attack, suffering a gunshot to the arm.
The investigation into the senseless killing of the well-loved young man, who was known for his polite and kind nature, quickly led to a suspect. Kashawn Hines, who was 15 years old at the time of the shooting, was arrested on the day of Lamonee's funeral. The evidence against Hines included a Facebook message sent to Lamonee's account in which he apologized for the shooting, claiming it was unintentional. He reportedly told authorities, “I didn't mean to kill him; I thought he would go to the hospital and then come home.” In addition to the social media confession, Hines also made multiple confessions to friends, his girlfriend, and the police.
Despite his claims of innocence at trial, where he asserted that someone else had accessed his Facebook account and that he was at home with his family in Norfolk at the time of the murder, a jury found Kashawn Hines guilty. He was convicted on charges of first-degree murder, malicious wounding, and two firearm charges. For his crimes, Hines was sentenced to 46 years in prison. The conviction, however, brought little solace to Lamonee's mother, Quintonia Chisholm, who testified to the profound and lasting void her son's death left in her life, a wound that time could not heal. The tragic death of Lamonee Johnson-Chisholm serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of youth violence.
