One of five people charged in the mass shooting that tore through Richmond's Shockoe Bottom entertainment district in February will be sentenced to 25 years or less in prison after striking a plea deal in court. Drevon Jackson-Brown, 26, reached the agreement at a plea hearing in Richmond City Circuit Court, resolving his case ahead of co-defendants who still face trial dates stretching into 2027.
A Shootout That Killed Jackson-Brown's Own Brother
The shooting unfolded on February 21, 2026, in the 00 block of North 18th Street, where nine people were shot during a chaotic street confrontation following bar closing hours, according to WRIC ABC 8News. Two people died at the scene: 23-year-old Petersburg resident Genesis Tamar Jones and 42-year-old Henrico County resident Dominic Antoine Jackson. Jackson, it turned out, was Jackson-Brown's own older brother, both of whom were present outside the venue when the confrontation broke out, according to official statements from Richmond Police reported by The Richmonder.
WWBT reported that Jackson-Brown fired into the crowd during the altercation. Jones was also killed in the shooting.
Charges Dropped as Part of the Plea
Jackson-Brown initially faced first-degree murder, malicious wounding, and two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony, per WRIC's reporting. Under the plea agreement, he pleaded down from first-degree murder to felony murder, and prosecutors dropped the malicious wounding charge along with one of the firearm counts. He is now left facing felony murder and a single count of using a firearm in the commission of a felony, with his exact sentence set to be determined in court on February 19, 2027.
In Virginia, felony murder is often treated as second-degree murder; when charged as second-degree murder, it carries a statutory prison term of 5 to 40 years, according to Greenspun Shapiro Ginsberg & Yang PC. For certain serious felonies, felony murder can be charged as first-degree murder. A person may be charged with felony murder even without an intent to murder.
Four Co-Defendants Still Awaiting Trial
Court records cited by WWBT also allege that co-defendant Carlos Johnson Jr., 28, began firing into the crowd in the same direction immediately after Jackson-Brown opened fire. Johnson was arrested in March 2026 and charged with first-degree murder and firearm offenses. A third original suspect, 22-year-old Sha'Quan Morris, was also charged in connection with the shooting.
In April, a Richmond grand jury indicted two additional men tied to the case. Antoine Hockaday II, 28, who was himself shot during the incident, was charged with accessory after the fact to murder, while Xavier Thomas, 28, was also charged, according to a City of Richmond press release. Hockaday surrendered to police, while Thomas was taken into custody. Three of the four remaining suspects have trial dates scheduled in November, December, and February 2027.
A Scene Described as Complex and Difficult
Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards said more than 50 shots were fired during the shooting; investigators described the scene as complex and difficult to process, as reported by The Richmonder. Law enforcement spent two weeks gathering evidence before making the first wave of arrests in the case.
The shooting also landed amid a longer pattern of violence in the district, according to Axios Richmond. In the immediate aftermath of the February shooting, Richmond Police increased high-visibility patrols while state Alcoholic Beverage Control agents conducted sweeps of Shockoe Bottom nightlife establishments, according to RVA Magazine.
Citywide, the picture looks different. Homicides declined 33% and non-fatal shootings declined 26%, according to WTVR's reporting on the figures. The Shockoe Bottom shooting, which killed Jones and Jackson, occurred amid that broader citywide decline.
