NORFOLK, Va. — A 16-year-old was convicted on Friday of shooting a man to death during an argument in the West Ocean View area in 2021, the Norfolk Commonwealth's Attorney's Office announced Tuesday.
The 16-year-old, who was 14 when the crime was committed, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder as part of a plea agreement that will commit him into the Department of Juvenile Justice.
Officials said the teen, who was not publicly identified, and the victim, 47-year-old Glenn Kreps, had multiple arguments on July 18, 2021. During one of the arguments near A View Avenue, the teen pulled out a gun and fired multiple rounds, striking Kreps.
Kreps rushed back to his friend's apartment nearby where he ultimately died.
“Children can do serious and violent things, but science shows that children are incapable of controlling their impulses in the same way as adults until about the age of 25,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi.
“That is why the law treats children differently and why, since taking office, I have sent no child in Norfolk to adult prison. I mourn for Mr. Kreps and his family. We have held this child accountable in a way appropriate to his age, prioritizing rehabilitation and with a suspended sentence in case, as an adult, this child takes the wrong path."
"14 years old, and on trial for murder," Norfolk Police Chief Larry Boone said in a statement at the time of the incident. "This young man should have been looking forward to the 8th grade. Where were the adult leaders in this young man’s life? This could have been prevented but now, it’s too late. We have failed him."
