On the evening of October 3, 2024, James Albert Brandon Jr., 55, was shot in the parking lot of a McDonald’s on Nine Mile Road in Henrico County after he stepped in to try to de-escalate an argument between a man and a woman. Known in Richmond as a compassionate man, he was a father of four and grandfather of four. He was privately transported to a local hospital with a life-threatening gunshot wound and later died from his injuries.

Henrico Police arrived to find a crime scene and later identified 64-year-old Tony Mario Johnson of Richmond as the suspect. Johnson was located and arrested without incident while driving near Peter Paul Boulevard and Fairfield Avenue; charges related to the homicide are pending. Funeral services for Brandon Jr. were held October 18, 2024, at Wilson & Associates Funeral Service - East Chapel in Richmond.

If anyone witnessed the shooting or has information about the events in the McDonald’s parking lot that evening, please share what you know.