A Virginia Beach man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for fatally shooting his younger brother inside the home they shared on Chancery Square earlier this year. Juan Xavier Armstrong killed 41-year-old Michael Armstrong after kicking in the door to his brother's bedroom and opening fire during an altercation, according to court documents cited in reporting on the case.
A Shooting Inside a Shared Home
The sentence was confirmed in a listing from the City of Virginia Beach, which identified Juan Xavier Armstrong as having 25 years to serve for the murder of his brother. Beyond the length of the sentence, the city's listing did not provide details on the hearing date, the plea or verdict, or how the sentence was structured. As reported by WAVY.com, Armstrong was staying at his brother's residence in the 600 block of Chancery Square at the time of the shooting, according to documents.
Per the same documents, Armstrong was in the residence with two other individuals when he went upstairs carrying a gun and kicked in the door to Michael's room. He then fired several shots during an altercation with his brother, with the shots striking Michael in the arm and chest. Michael died from the gunshot wounds inflicted by his brother, according to the documents referenced in the WAVY report.
Fleeing, a 911 Call, and an Arrest
After the shooting, Armstrong went outside holding the gun and told the two other individuals in the home to check on Michael, the station's report states. Those two individuals had left the residence after hearing multiple gunshots, and when they re-entered, they found Michael deceased. They called 911. Armstrong fled the scene but was apprehended nearby and taken into custody, where he confessed to shooting and killing his brother, per the same account.
Virginia Beach police and EMS had first responded to a reported shooting at the 600 block of Chancery Square around 1:31 p.m. on April 8, according to WTKR. Officers found Michael Armstrong shot, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The Virginia Beach Police Department confirmed to WTKR reporter Romelo Styles that the two men were brothers.
Armstrong was charged with second-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a violent convicted felon, according to The Virginian-Pilot. Reporting on Armstrong's age is inconsistent: the Pilot identified him as a 46-year-old Virginia Beach resident, while WAVY's reporting lists him as 47 years old.
Shootings Trending Down Citywide
The sentencing comes as Virginia Beach has reported a broader decline in gun violence this year. WTKR reported that the department recorded 26 shootings through Sept. 30, down from 33 during the same period in 2025. Deputy Chief Brad Wesseler said shooting incidents were down more than 21% year to date, a figure police officials described as the lowest number of shootings recorded in the city over the past four years. Wesseler also said that since 2023, shooting incidents during that same time frame have decreased by more than 50%, according to WTKR's report.
