A 30-year-old man was sentenced to 85 years in the Virginia Department of Corrections for a shooting in April 2023 that damaged three homes and a vehicle.
On April 28, 2023, Emergency Communications and Citizen Services received a ShotSpotter notification of gunfire in the 300 block of Harrier Street about 9:50 p.m. When authorities arrived, they discovered many shot casings, three homes, and a car that had been damaged by gunfire. According to police, no gunshot victims were found during the initial inquiry.
The following day, a victim of the shooting reported the incident to the VBPD, and a bullet was discovered in his vehicle. Additional investigation led to the identification of the culprit, 30-year-old Johnathan Keenan Stephenson of Virginia Beach. Stephenson received warrants.
On May 12, 2023, officers from the Third Precinct Crime Suppression Squad arrested and charged Stephenson with outstanding warrants, as well as recovering a handgun. He was then charged with further firearms offenses.
The firearm and ammunition shells discovered at the site were traced to Stephenson using NIBIN and DNA.
The case was tried on February 10, 2026, in the Circuit City of Virginia Beach. Stephenson pleaded guilty to the following offenses:
- Discharging a firearm within the city limits
- Reckless handling of a firearm
- Two counts of possession of a firearm by a violent felon
- Attempted malicious wounding
- Two counts of shooting into an occupied vehicle
- Two counts of concealed weapon, second offense
- Use of a firearm in commission of a felony
- Three counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling
Stephenson was sentenced to 85 years in the Virginia Department of Corrections, but the court suspended all but 13 years and 4 days in exchange for indeterminate supervised probation of no more than 5 years, 20 years of good behavior, no contact with the victims, no possession of firearms or simulated firearms, and forfeiture of the firearm to the Virginia Beach Police Department.
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