LYNCHBURG, Va. – It was a gunfire-filled weekend in Lynchburg – which resulted in the Hill City marking a troubling milestone.
Police responded to a report of shots fired on the 1800-block of Park Avenue around 3:40 a.m. Sunday.
Officers found 65-year-old Gary Braxton with a gunshot wound. He was transported to the hospital, where he later died.
Neighbor Arthur Palmer says he knew Braxton.
“He was always the same. He didn’t raise his voice, didn’t show no kind of violence. He was just an ordinary, happy man,” said Palmer.
Thirty-six-year-old Alfonzo Spinner was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Police say Spinner and Braxton knew each other.
This marked the eighth homicide in Lynchburg so far this year — matching the highest in recent years. There were eight homicides in all of 2018, and police say prior to that was before 2000.
“I’ve been a police officer here for 22 years, and it’s kind of sobering when I look at those stats and I see that this is tied with the highest we’ve had since I’ve been here. And we still have four more months to go,” said Lieutenant Adam Sexton of Lynchburg’s Criminal Investigative Division.
Here is the breakdown of yearly homicides from 2000 to Aug. 2, 2021, according to LPD:
| Year | Number of homicides |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 3 |
| 2001 | 6 |
| 2002 | 6 (including one double homicide) |
| 2003 | 5 |
| 2004 | 5 |
| 2005 | 5 |
| 2006 | 2 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 4 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 5 |
| 2011 | 4 |
| 2012 | 5 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 6 |
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 3 (including 3 additional justifiable homicides) |
| 2018 | 8 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 8 (as of Aug. 2) |
On Saturday, officers responded to Sandusky Park for a report of shots fired just after 10 pm.
One wounded woman was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
“We had detectives go back out yesterday evening and recanvas Sandusky Park in attempt to locate more evidence,” said Sexton.
Police do not believe the two incidents are related.
“We do not want to have people in our community committing violent crimes, and a lot of times we need the community’s help to step in and help us take these people off the street,” said Sexton.
Anyone with information should call Lynchburg police at 434-455-6050.