Norfolk detectives have charged a 20-year-old man in connection with the fatal shooting of another 20-year-old on Church Street in June. Demonta M. Brown Jr., of Norfolk, was taken into custody in the 700 block of W. 28th Street on Thursday, a day before the case became public, and now faces charges of second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
According to the Daily Press, Brown is being held without bond at the Norfolk City Jail. The shooting that led to his arrest happened the night of June 26 in the 600 block of Church Street, near E. Brambleton Avenue and close to the Calvert Square and Tidewater Gardens neighborhoods. Norfolk police have released no other information about the case or what led investigators to Brown.
Police were in the area when they heard multiple shots around 7:40 p.m. and found Fuller suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the adjacent 500 block. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Norfolk police said.
A New Father Remembered on Church Street
Tale A. Fuller, the victim, was a 20-year-old Chesapeake resident. He had recently celebrated a birthday and welcomed a newborn daughter in the weeks before he was killed, according to the same account, which reported that family and community members gathered for a public memorial vigil on Church Street in early July.
Norfolk Ward 4 Councilman John E. “J.P.” Paige has spoken about violence and loss.
Legal Exposure Facing Brown
Charges Facing Brown Under Virginia Code § 18.2-32, murder other than aggravated murder and first-degree murder is classified as second-degree murder, carrying a statutory penalty of five to 40 years in a state correctional facility, according to the Code of Virginia. Brown also faces a charge of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
A Neighborhood in Transition, and a City's Homicide Spike
Church Street Area The 600 block of Church Street is near Tidewater Gardens and Calvert Square.
Fuller's death came during a sharp reversal in Norfolk's crime trends. The city recorded just 26 homicides in 2025, a 30% drop from 2024 and the lowest annual total in 40 years, down from more than 60 homicides during the pandemic peak of 2021 and 2022, according to WHRO Public Media.
Norfolk Police Chief Mark Talbot has discussed recent homicides, including four weekend shootings that appeared unconnected. Norfolk police have not said whether Fuller's killing fits that pattern, and beyond confirming the charges and Brown's arrest, the department has offered no further details on the case.
