In 2024, a judge in Newport News sentenced Divine Rahim Jackson to life in prison for the July 8, 2022 shooting death of Michael Colin Faison Jr.
The shooting happened outside a 7-Eleven on Warwick Boulevard, a busy area across from Todd Stadium.
A 12-member jury had already found Jackson guilty of first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in July 2023. In addition to life in prison for murder, the court added three years for the gun charge.
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| Michael Colin Faison |
On July 8, 2022, just after 5 p.m., 23-year-old Michael Faison Jr. walked into the 7-Eleven at Warwick Boulevard, as per WKTR News.
After buying a Big Gulp drink, he went back outside and continued chatting with customers passing by.
According to workers there, he was a regular customer and often talked with people outside the store.
“He tends to talk a lot,” one clerk said. She explained that Faison was friendly and outgoing, and he often gave customers compliments like, “I like your hair,” or “What kind of shoes are those?”
Around 5:30 p.m., a woman in a powder blue dress walked past, and Faison started a conversation with her about her tattoos. The woman later gave him her phone number for possible tattoo work after she learned that he was a tattoo artist.
But her boyfriend, Divine Jackson, who was pumping gas nearby saw them exchange numbers and it got him upset.
According to police reports, Jackson then walked over, pushed past the woman, slapped Faison twice before pulling a handgun from his waist.
“Why you (expletive) talking to my girlfriend?” Jackson asked repeatedly, according to the clerk.
Surveillance video showed Jackson pressing the gun against Faisons head, who now steps back and raises his hands before saying “Dude, I’m sorry, dude,” according to witnesses.
Despite this Jackson shot Faison once in the face before him and the woman ran to a faded older model BMW and left the scene. Sadly Faison later died that night at Riverside Regional Medical Center, as reported by Pilotonline.
Police found the car about an hour later on Lassiter Drive, and SWAT officers later arrested Jackson at a residence on Aqua Vista Drive without incident.
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| Divine Jackson |
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| Divine Jackson |
Jackson was later charged with the crime and during his trial, he testified that he felt threatened. “He told me he would take the firearm out of my hand and kill me,” Jackson said. “I was in fear for my life,” he added.
His defense argued there was a struggle over the weapon before the shooting but prosecutors disagreed. They said video evidence showed no struggle and that Faison’s hands were not near the gun when the shot was fired.
The jury sided with the prosecution and found Jackson guilty of first-degree murder.
In May 2024, Newport News Circuit Court Judge Gary Mills sentenced Jackson to life in prison, the maximum allowed under the law, plus three years for the gun charge.
After the sentence was handed down, Jackson turned to face the victim’s family and apologized. He read a statement in court saying his impulsive reaction took another man’s life.
“I never intended to kill an innocent man,” Jackson said. He also told the court he had been drinking at the time of the shooting.
Michael Faison Jr.’s mother, Melany Faison, said the family felt relief after the decision. “I’m finally relieved that it’s over,” she said. “He’s not getting out anytime soon. Mikey’s not gonna be able to get married or have any kids or walk his sisters down the aisle.”
Faison, known as “Mikey,” attended Riverside Elementary School, Crittenden Middle School, and Menchville High School. His mother described him as outgoing and full of energy. “He was a very outgoing person who wasn’t afraid to talk to anyone and made friends wherever he went,” she wrote in a 2022 post.
Friends said he was working at a nearby auto repair shop and had an interest in becoming a tattoo artist. “He was bubbly,” said Rob Gordon, a coworker. “He tried to make everybody happy and put a smile on everybody’s face.”
Before sentencing, Jackson’s mother asked the judge for leniency but the judge moved forward with the life sentence.
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