A Virginia Beach man was sentenced Monday to 20 years in prison for fatally shooting 15-year-old Jeyani Upshur during a fight outside the Mount Trashmore carnival in May 2024, a killing that ultimately helped end the decades-old summer tradition altogether. Markal Cook received a 28-year prison term with eight years suspended, leaving 20 years to serve.
A jury found Cook guilty in July of second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, according to wtkr.com. The City of Virginia Beach had previously confirmed the guilty verdict in its own announcement on the case, Commonwealth v. Markal Dashown Cook, and later confirmed the sentence in a separate release on the case.
Upshur was killed on May 25, 2024, when gunfire broke out during a fight outside the carnival over Memorial Day weekend, per the same wtkr.com account. Cook, who was a week from graduating high school, had gone to the early-summer city event with friends. His half brother began arguing with a larger group of friends outside the park's Edwin Drive parking lot. Prosecutors described video showing Cook backing away before firing.
Chaos Erupts as Gunfire Breaks Out
A large crowd scattered as Upshur fell. She was struck in the back of her neck. Cook was also struck that night, suffering an upper-back wound.
Prosecutors argued Cook sought revenge because his brother was being beaten. A jury found Cook guilty in July. Cook was arrested and charged with Upshur's killing in the days following the shooting, and he had previously been convicted twice of carrying a concealed firearm in Norfolk in 2023.
Family Memories and Autopsy Testimony
Upshur's mother, Lanarda Shambley, previously spoke to News 3 about her loss.
Her mother described her as tough when it came to sports.
At trial, a pathologist testified about Upshur's autopsy.
The Carnival's Final Summer
Mount Trashmore's carnival had been a fixture of early summers in Virginia Beach for more than a decade before it closed in the wake of the shooting. The city tried to revive it in 2025, signing a service agreement on May 14 of that year with National Event Management to run the event, according to The Virginian-Pilot.
Virginia Beach officials ultimately severed their contract with the carnival operator just days after the 2025 event began because of city staffing gaps.
