Kalani Bailey-Cortez was 21 when he was shot and killed in Virginia Beach on the night of April 5, 2024. Police were called for reports of gunfire around 10:45 p.m. in the 1200 block of Level Green Boulevard; emergency medical services pronounced Bailey-Cortez dead at the scene after he was found with a gunshot wound.

Investigators say Bailey-Cortez and the mother of his child had left a party separately that evening. After Bailey-Cortez drove a friend home and the friend went inside, authorities contend a 17-year-old, Sa’Quan Tyreese Ward, arrived in an SUV, approached Bailey-Cortez in his parked car and fired five shots as Bailey-Cortez tried to drive away. Doorbell camera footage and a cell phone reportedly recovered at the scene — with images and video of Ward holding a firearm matching the caliber used — are described as key evidence.

Ward was arrested May 10, 2024, charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm; because he was a minor at the time he was not initially identified. His case was certified to Circuit Court, and after a five-day trial a jury found Sa’Quan Tyreese Ward, then 19, guilty of second-degree murder and use of a firearm. Sentencing was set for February 20, 2026.

If anyone has information about what happened that night or knew Kalani, please share tips with Virginia Beach authorities.