In the early hours of Sunday, April 5, 2026, 39-year-old Johnta Raeshawn Fields was shot in the 2400 block of Chestnut Street in Portsmouth, Virginia. He was taken to a local hospital but died of his injuries. The Portsmouth Police Investigations Bureau is treating the death as a homicide and the investigation is active.

On April 7, detectives executed a search warrant at a residence connected to the case and found evidence the home was operating as an illegal after-hours establishment at the time of the shooting. The homeowner was charged with animal cruelty; authorities say that charge is unrelated to the homicide inquiry. No suspect, motive, or other details about who fired the shot have been released.

Anyone with information that could help investigators is asked to contact the Portsmouth Police Investigations Bureau or the Crime Line.