Richmond Woman Arrested in Connection to Shooting Death of DeVaughan Lawrence

Accident – death – Obituary News : Richmond Woman Arrested in Connection to Downtown Petersburg Shooting

PETERSBURG – In a significant development, a 24-year-old woman from Richmond has been apprehended and charged with first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Jasmine Yancey is currently being held at Riverside Regional Jail in Prince George County, pending her first court appearance. The charges are in connection to the shooting death of 29-year-old DeVaughan Lawrence, which occurred last week at the parking lot of a downtown apartment complex.

The tragic incident took place at the Perry Street Lofts, one of several residential complexes in the immediate vicinity. Witnesses reported hearing 5-6 gunshots around 4 p.m. on November 28th, which prompted the arrival of officers at the scene. They discovered Lawrence lying face up in the parking lot and sadly, he was pronounced dead on-site.

With the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, Yancey was arrested without any incident, as confirmed by a police statement. However, no motive has been revealed yet for the murder of DeVaughan Lawrence.

This latest homicide marks the 23rd recorded in Petersburg this year, surpassing the previous record of 22 set in 2020. The city has experienced a concerning increase in violent crimes, with 21 deaths reported last year and 18 prior to that.

To provide a comprehensive overview, here is a list of the homicide victims in Petersburg this year:

1. Javarius Desmore, killed on March 14 in the 1400 block of Pin Oak Drive
2. Antonio Walker, killed on April 5 in the 100 block of Henrico Street
3. Shaun Hankins, killed on April 24 in the 20 block of Leavenworth Street
4. Brian Chambers, killed on May 24 at the Budget Motor Inn on North Jamestown Drive
5. Tewana Williams, killed on May 27 in the 1000 block of Talley Avenue
6. Anthony Williams, killed on June 3 in the 800 block of North Gillfield Drive
7. K’Von Morgan, a 10-year-old child killed on June 17 on Juniper Road in the Pecan Acres Estates community
8. Ke’Asia Powell, killed on June 22 in the 800 block of East Wythe Street
9. Lucky Dwayne Burress, killed on June 26 in the 1600 block of Berkeley Avenue
10. Darrell D. Morton, killed on July 6 at the Crater Square Apartments on South Crater Road
11. Kirk Nims, killed on July 11 in the 500 block of Halifax Street
12. Johnny W. Englehart Jr., killed on August 8 in the 1000 block of Rome Street
13. Matthew Gibbs, killed on August 24 in the 1800 block of Brandon Avenue
14. Adrionna B. West, killed on September 3 in the 700 block of High Street
15. Fatin Rhone, killed on September 23 in front of Ivy Gates Apartments on South Sycamore Street
16. William Henry Hayes Jr., killed on October 2 in the 300 block of South West Street
17. Hannah Vaughan, killed on October 6 at the intersection of County Drive and Wagner Road
18. Walter Rudolph Sykes III, killed on October 14 in the 1100 block of Sixth Street
19. Robert M. Booker Jr., killed on October 23 in front of the Family Dollar store at Walnut Hill Plaza on South Crater Road
20. Wayne Kelley, killed on November 7 in the 900 block of Logan Street
21. Robert Pugh, killed on November 12 in the 1100 block of Custer Street
22. Renee Johnson, killed on November 27 as part of a murder-suicide at a residence in the 2600 block of Oak Hill Road
23. DeVaughan Lawrence, killed on November 28 at the Perry Street Lofts apartment complex in downtown Petersburg

It is worth mentioning that arrests have been made in 12 of these cases, including those of Chambers, Tewana Williams, Burruss, Nims, Gibbs, West, Rhone, Hayes, Sykes, Booker, Pugh, and Lawrence. In the case of Renee Johnson, the suspect, 56-year-old Edward Robertson Jr., took his own life after killing his sister, according to police reports. The community continues to grapple with the ongoing violence as law enforcement agencies work tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice..