NORFOLK, Va. — A man was sentenced to 63 years in prison for killing a man in 2020 by shooting him multiple times, including in the head, the Norfolk Commonwealth Attorney's Office announced Friday.
In a release, the Commonwealth said Michael Faulkner, 40, of Norfolk was convicted of first-degree murder and the use of a firearm in the commission of murder in the death of 30-year-old Shelvin Alston.
The incident unfolded on May 30, 2020 when a conversation between Faulkner and Alston escalated outside the Tinee Giant convenience store located on Princess Anne Road, prosecutors said.
Surveillance video shows what officials said appeared to be Faulkner preparing for a "fist fight" as he's seen setting his belongings aside, then attempting to "further engage" Alston. Bystanders, however, stepped in to stop the situation from escalating.
When Alston left the parking lot, authorities say Faulkner followed him and fired several shots just a few blocks east in the area of Oaklawn Avenue. Alston was struck four times — once in the side of the head, once in the back of his head and twice in his back. He died at the scene.
Faulkner fled the scene but was later arrested, according to officials. He was initially charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm, but those charges were dismissed during his preliminary hearing in May 2021. A grand jury, however, indicted Faulkner of first-degree murder and for the use of a firearm in 2022, which he was found guilty of in September 2023.
“Mr. Faulkner gunned down Shelvin Alston in cold blood,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “We owed it to Mr. Alston’s memory and to his family to do everything we could to hold Mr. Faulkner accountable, and we have done just that. Mr. Faulkner will now serve a substantial prison sentence that reflects his prior criminal record and the seriousness of his crime.”
