Hampton rocked by an uptick in violence

City has seen a spate of homicides in the first weeks of 2023

Police Chief Mark Talbot said that his department has seen an “alarming” spike in violence in Hampton recently, with 15 shootings and nine homicides in January alone.

During a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Talbot provided an update on a fatal shooting that occurred late Monday night on Salisbury Way. The shooting ended with a 24-year-old man, Dijonte Nash, and 25-year-old woman, Destiny Layton, dead. Layton was eight months pregnant.

“That represents a lot of pain for families, a lot of pain for neighbors and friends, and a lot of pain for the city — frankly, a lot of pain for the police,” Talbot said. “We’re here to let our city know that we’re using this pain that they’re feeling, and we’re feeling motivation to bring safety and security back to the city.”

Talbot said Monday night’s shooting was still under investigation. He urged anyone with information to contact the police.

“We desperately need to get the people off the street responsible for that crime,” he said

Talbot encouraged witnesses to use the department’s tip line, but added that the department was willing to meet people “wherever they want.”

There have been seven fatal shootings in the city this month, resulting in eight homicides. Police are counting the death of the pregnant woman as two homicides, which would bring the total to nine.

“These aren’t random crimes — our victims were targeted,” he said.

Hampton had 24 homicides in 2022, which Talbot said was 30% fewer than in 2021. However, he said the last quarter of 2022 started to spike in violent crime.

He said Hampton is partnering with state and federal agencies to

help reduce crime. He also said he expects City Manager Mary Bunting and the City Council to provide his department with whatever he needs to fight crime.

“I’ve already been given clear indication that whatever this organization needs to keep this city safe, we will have,” he said.

When asked what might be the cause of the recent uptick in gun violence, Talbot said “sooner or later, what’s possible tends to happen.”

“It’s within the realm of possibility when we have a country in which we have more guns than people that we’ve created this recipe for urban environments to have an increased level of fatal/not fatal shootings,” he said.

Out of 220 homicides reported in 2022 by Hampton Roads’ seven police departments, 114 have been “cleared” through arrest or other means. No one has been arrested or held accountable in the remaining 106.

Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck said that the city government will support Talbot’s efforts to reduce the homicide rate and that Hampton won’t “defund” police. He also added that most Hampton residents should be able to feel safe since the killings have been targeted, not random.

“I think our message to the citizens really is that we have a department that is intent on trying to reduce the number of shooting as well as homicides, but also that they can still feel safe and move about the city because the violence that’s occurring is not random.”