A 33-year-old Virginia Beach man is behind bars following a shooting that sent a victim to the hospital on Northampton Boulevard earlier last month. Police arrested Drashawn McCoy on Sept. 25, three weeks after officers found a man suffering from a gunshot wound in the 5700 block of the busy roadway. He now faces four felony charges and remains in custody while detectives continue piecing together what happened.
Call Came In as an Alleged Assault
The case began on Sept. 4, when Virginia Beach's Emergency Communications and Citizen Services received a call reporting an alleged assault in the 5700 block of Northampton Boulevard, according to WAVY.com. When officers arrived, they found an adult male suffering from a gunshot wound, and he was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. How severe his injuries were has not been made public; 13News Now reported at the time that the seriousness of his wounds wasn't disclosed.
In its report on a separate March 2023 shooting, 13News Now noted that police had shut down the 5700 block of Northampton Boulevard in both directions around 7 p.m. that evening, reopening it roughly an hour later. The closure interrupted traffic while investigators cleared the scene.
Fugitive Squad Tracks Down Suspect
Three weeks passed before police announced a break in the case. On Sept. 25, the department's Fugitive Apprehension Squad arrested McCoy in connection with the shooting, the station's report states. He was subsequently charged with aggravated malicious wounding, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm by a violent felon and carrying a concealed weapon.
Aggravated malicious wounding is defined under Code of Virginia § 18.2-51.2, which can apply as a Class 2 felony when a person acts with intent to maim, disfigure, disable, or kill and the victim is severely injured and suffers permanent and significant physical impairment. The dossier evidence does not establish whether those specific conditions apply in McCoy's case. Separately, Virginia's firearm-use statute, § 18.2-53.1, makes it unlawful to use or display a firearm in a threatening manner while committing or attempting certain felonies, while § 18.2-308.2 addresses firearm possession by convicted felons and § 18.2-308 covers carrying concealed weapons.
Investigation Remains Active
McCoy is currently being held at the Virginia Beach City Jail, per the same account from WAVY.com. Police have said the investigation is ongoing, meaning additional details, including a possible motive, could still emerge as detectives continue their work.
The Northampton Boulevard shooting adds to a string of gun violence cases Virginia Beach police have worked through this year. Residents can review broader crime statistics through the Virginia Beach Police Department's regularly published data.
Anyone with information about the Sept. 4 shooting is asked to contact the VBPD Detective Bureau at 757-385-4101, or to reach out to the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
