Eighteen-year-old John Kelson Jr., known to some as Lil John, died after being brought to Chippenham Hospital in Richmond on the late evening of December 18, 2024. Hospital staff discovered he had sustained a gunshot wound and he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at about 11:48 p.m. Detectives determined the fatal shooting occurred in the 3400 block of Walmsley Boulevard; the circumstances leading up to the shooting remain unclear.

An unidentified driver brought Kelson to the hospital and then left the scene. That person’s identity and any connection to the shooting are a key focus of the active homicide investigation. No arrests have been announced and no suspects have been publicly named. Kelson was a student at George Wythe High School and worked at a local Popeye’s; his family remembers his love of fishing, video games, and time with loved ones.

Anyone with information about the shooting, the events on Walmsley Boulevard that night, or the person who transported Kelson to the hospital is asked to contact the Major Crimes unit.