Shane Winston Brooks, 26, was killed by a gunshot in his Virginia Beach home in the Lynnhaven area shortly after 1 a.m. on March 5, 2026. He was a Staff Sergeant in the Virginia National Guard, a graduate of Old Dominion University, and had served a tour in Iraq. Responding officers arrived at a Virginia Beach Boulevard residence after a 19-year-old, Ember McSpadden, called to say she had accidentally shot her partner; Shane was found deceased at the scene and McSpadden was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter.

Investigators say the preliminary findings indicate an unintended discharge of a firearm led to the fatal injury. Shane’s family describes him as the glue that held them together after his father died in his teens; he was an avid marathon runner, a licensed pilot, enjoyed hunting and fishing, and was noted for skills in cyber hacking and lock picking. A GoFundMe was set up to help with final expenses and an appeal hearing on McSpadden’s bail was scheduled for March 17.

If anyone knew Shane or has information about the incident, please share what you know.