Deshawn Spencer was 17 when he was fatally shot on the night of April 24, 2017, in the 1500 block of Wilson Road in Norfolk’s Campostella neighborhood, just two days before his 18th birthday. He was outside his family’s home with his girlfriend, brother, and friends when gunfire erupted; his mother, inside the house, heard the shots. Deshawn was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital but died of his wounds. Family described him as a sweet, loving teen who helped his mother, who was on dialysis, by cooking and cleaning. The family had been planning to celebrate his upcoming birthday at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront.

Norfolk Police opened a homicide investigation and later identified 18-year-old Akail J. Allen as a suspect. Allen, already jailed on unrelated charges at the time, was charged in connection with Spencer’s death with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and gang participation, and was held without bond. Anyone who knew Deshawn or has information about that night is asked to come forward.