Davion M. Cooke, 21, of Suffolk, Virginia, was shot and killed in downtown Norfolk on the evening of May 1, 2026. Police responded shortly before 9:00 p.m. to the 300 block of East Freemason Street and found Cooke with a life-threatening gunshot wound in a publicly accessible stairwell of a building that also contained a public parking garage. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced deceased on arrival; the incident was determined to be a homicide.

Investigators used technology from the city’s Real-Time Crime Center to identify a suspect within hours. On May 2, 2026, Norfolk police arrested 19-year-old Tavion E. Holmes-Ruperto of Norfolk and charged him with second-degree murder, robbery, and two counts of use of a firearm. He was held without bond at the Norfolk City Jail.

Friends and family described Cooke as a jokester who could light up a room; a friend who was present said an attempted robbery escalated into a physical altercation before the shooting. No trial, conviction, or sentence is reported as of late May 2026. Does anyone who knew Davion or was in that area on May 1 have information that could help fill gaps in the timeline?