Zaire Usher-Evans, a 21-year-old Black man from Franklin, Virginia, was shot in the early morning hours of Sunday, April 19, 2026. City of Franklin officers responded to Bruce Street and found him suffering from gunshot wounds at about 2:02 a.m. He was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk but later died from his injuries; officials publicly confirmed his death the same day.

Franklin police immediately treated the incident as a homicide and asked anyone who may have seen or heard anything near Bruce Street, or who has information about criminal activity in the area, to come forward. The Southampton County Sheriff’s Office and the Southampton County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office were assisting the Franklin investigation.

Key questions remain: who shot Zaire Usher-Evans and what led to the shooting? If anyone has information that could help investigators, please share it with Franklin police.