Robert James Mallory, 40, was fatally shot in Portsmouth, Virginia, on November 15, 2024. The shooting occurred about 2:45 p.m. at the busy intersection of High Street and Frederick Boulevard. Officers found Mallory with a life-threatening gunshot wound; he was taken to a local hospital and died after arrival.

Mallory’s mother, Rena Woodell, said her understanding was that he had been walking along the roadway when he exchanged words with someone inside a vehicle and the encounter escalated to gunfire. Portsmouth detectives identified 26-year-old Javonte Gray as a suspect and took him into custody the same night at about 11:30 p.m. Gray was held without bond and charged with second-degree murder and multiple firearms offenses, including discharging a firearm in a public place, shooting in a roadway, shooting from a vehicle, possession of a firearm by a violent felon, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Authorities said the investigation remained ongoing.

Mallory was a father of six, including two children aged two and three; his mother described him as frequently smiling and proud to be a mama’s boy. Are there witnesses or local readers who saw the shooting or the vehicle involved who can provide information?