NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Editor's Note: The above video is from November 16, 2021, the day after the shooting took place.
The Newport News Police Department said Monday that officers arrested the person responsible for a murder that took place across Jefferson Avenue from police headquarters on Nov. 15, 2021.
Antoine Knightnor faces three charges in connection to the deadly shooting:
- Murder: 2nd Degree
- Use of Firearm in the Commission of a Felony
- Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon
Police received the call about the shooting along Jefferson Avenue at 11:10 p.m. on Nov. 15. When officers arrived, they found Melvon Kendell Ivey, 33, in the parking lot of a business. Ivey had a number of gunshot wounds.
The day after the shooting, Paul Abercrumbie, the owner of furniture store 2nd Time Around, said the shooting was no surprise given the amount of gun violence we’re seeing in Hampton Roads.
“It’s quite uncomfortable," Abercrumbie said. “Of course it’s unsettling to find out that there’s a shooting directly in front of my establishment.”
Abercrumbie found out about the shooting when his friends told him.
“They had seen it on the news," Abercrumbie said. "Concerned if I was involved or hurt – so that’s how I found out about it. I rushed over here to find out the details and that the store is still standing.”
Another business owner, Ehab Bekhet, said his convenience store cameras might have captured a vehicle that was involved.
“We had everything on the camera – showing everything, showing the plate number for the vehicle, showing the vehicle," Bekhet said.
Like Abercrumbie – he’s bothered by the circumstance of the crime.
“You giving people something - not to protect actually themselves when they have the gun - actually no, they’re shooting each other with it,” Bekhet said.
“It’s very sad when you hear you’re losing people over maybe small things and not even think about it.”
In one of his online “Chat with the Chief” sessions on Nov. 16 -- Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said he felt sure detectives would make an arrest.
“I don’t want to go too far into the case but we had our briefing this morning at 11 o clock and we will solve that case, quickly. I’m going to leave it at that," Drew said. “Some detectives went home, slept about two or three hours, and are back because they’re following good information.”
Abercrumbie said he had a lot of trust in officers.
“The Newport News police have done an outstanding job at improving this area," he said. "It used to be a lot worse.”
If you have any information that could help authorities, contact the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP or submit an online tip here.