Responding to a shots-fired report near downtown around 3 a.m. Saturday, Charlottesville police officers found a young man dying of wounds near Court Square.
Daquain Maurice Anderson, 29, of Charlottesville, later succumbed to his injuries at the University of Virginia Medical Center’s emergency room, according to a police statement.
If Charlottesville Police have a suspect, they have not said so.
Anderson’s Facebook page shows scenes from a life cut short. On Facebook, he warns of bodily harm to anyone who would hurt his mother, proudly anticipates the birth of a child, and publishes a meme about being “10 toes down.”
The concept of “10 toes down,” which epitomizes devotion and commitment, has been celebrated in rap music by such artists as Fenix Flexin and the late Nipsey Hussle. In bare-chested photographs that Anderson appeared to have posted of himself on Facebook, his interest in devotion is evident as his largest tattoo reads, “Death Before Dishonor.”
But the messages over his muscles also demonstrate a strong sense of unease, including “Trust Nobody” emblazoned across his shoulders and one tricep including passages from Psalm 41 of the Bible, which speaks about threats from enemies.
“Blessed is he that considereth the poor,” begins the lengthy passage on Anderson’s left arm. “The Lord will preserve him and keep him alive.”
The inked excerpt also suggests persecution: “All who hate me whisper together against me; against me they devise my hurt.”
Local court records tell another part of his story.
Anderson received a felony conviction in 2013 for a third offense of assault and battery of a family member. A five-year sentence was imposed and reduced to six months.
A 2015 forgery sentence in Albemarle added to Anderson’s troubles and court records show that his assault and battery probation was revoked in 2016 and 2019 for probation violations.
Whatever troubles he had, Anderson was loved. The scene of his death became an impromptu memorial Monday afternoon, as three women placed stuffed teddy bears and balloons near the base of the insurance company building.
They declined to be interviewed.
Located at the corner of East Jefferson Street and the 200 block of North Third Street, that L-shaped asphalt driveway appears to be owned by a firm affiliated with the insurance company, which also owns a nearby storefront for a shop called the Charlottesville Cannabis Club.
The only late-night business in that block, the club closes at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, according to its website.
An official with the nearby Holy Comforter Catholic church said the church had been asked by a police investigator to supply any relevant surveillance footage.
However, inside a brick house converted into professional offices, the massage coordinator at Love Face & Body Spa expressed surprise when informed, two days after it occurred, of Anderson’s death.
Christina Shirley said that Love’s massage therapists often work until after dark and deserved to know of a fatal attack in a neighborhood that, until now, seemed safe.
“Oh, my gosh,” exclaimed Shirley. “It’s very alarming.”
Source: www.dailyprogress.com
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