Smithfield sees first homicide of 2012

SMITHFIELD, Va. (WAVY) - Travis Newby was gunned down outside of his apartment in Smithfield Wednesday night in the city's first homicide of 2012.

The incident occurred at the Jersey Park Apartments in the 700 block of Wrenn Road just after 7 p.m., according to Chief Steven Bowman with the Smithfield Police Department.

According to police, Newby, 36, was pulling on his apartment door in an effort to keep a man with whom he had gotten into an argument with, inside of the house. The man then exited through a living room window and fought with Newby, who he then shot.

Witnesses on scene told WAVY.com they heard four or five shots and saw Newby lying on his front steps before he was taken by air ambulance to Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News.

"I ran up to his and held him," Angela Harris said. "I asked Travis who did this to him and he said he didn't know."

Newby, suffering from a gunshot wound to his stomach, was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Family and friends told WAVY.com Newby only had one lung as he was battling cancer.

A makeshift memorial was set up outside of the apartment Thursday, where Newby's family and friends reminisced.

"He liked having fun," Newby's cousin Teresa Holloway said. "He would joke and he liked to see other people happy. What he would do is give kids money for snacks, candy, and ice cream when the ice cream truck came around."

A man with short dreadlocks was seen running from the scene. The suspect was wearing a black jacket, white T-shirt and a black skull cap at the time of the shooting.

Newby's family told WAVY.com Newby's 40 caliber gun is missing from his home. However, Newby was shot with a 9mm gun.

In October 2003, 8-year-old Kyron Butler was killed at the same Smithfield apartment complex as he slept. A gunfight erupted outside the Jersey Park apartment complex and a stray bullet hit Kyron.