An argument between two groups of young men at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront on a summer night in 2011 tragically ended the life of Cordaro Daniel Simpkins, a 22-year-old aspiring boxer. The male victim was with friends near 18th Street just before midnight on July 23, 2011, when a dispute erupted with another group. During the altercation, one man pulled out a gun and fired shots.
The gunman, later identified as 22-year-old Eric Levon Davis Jr. of Hampton, initially fired warning shots into the air. He then fired a shot into the crowd, striking Simpkins in the chest. Following the shooting, Davis and his companions fled the scene. However, a cell phone left behind was eventually traced to a relative of Davis, leading investigators to him.
Davis was arrested and charged with murder in connection with Simpkins's death. The case went to trial, and in February 2013, a jury found Eric Levon Davis Jr. guilty of involuntary manslaughter and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. The jury recommended a sentence of 10 years in prison for his role in the death of Cordaro Simpkins. Davis was formally sentenced on April 23, 2013.
