Richmond father accused in deadly shooting, teen killed, child critically injured

Richmond police say a domestic shooting in Highland Park turned deadly within days, leaving 41-year-old Levy Nelson in custody, 18-year-old Zion Terry dead, and Terry’s 14-year-old sister critically wounded before she later died of her injuries. Officers responded to the 3100 block of 5th Avenue at about 9:50 a.m. on April 21, 2026, and said Nelson had shot his girlfriend, Tiffany Terry, and the two children they shared inside the home.

Police said Nelson was taken into custody in Henrico County that evening after investigators tracked his truck with help from Flock license plate readers and community tips. The arrest was not clean or quiet. Richmond police said Nelson allegedly rammed three police cruisers during the chase, adding another layer of danger to a case that was already centered on a family shattered by gunfire.

Zion Terry, a John Marshall High School student, later died from his injuries. Police said his 14-year-old sister was shot in the head and remained hospitalized in life-threatening condition before she died on April 25. Tiffany Terry, identified in court as the children’s mother and Nelson’s girlfriend, survived and was recovering from injuries that police said were not life-threatening. Officers later said her condition had stabilized.

Nelson was arraigned on April 22 in Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court on charges of malicious wounding and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Police said additional charges were expected as the investigation continued, and Nelson appeared from the Richmond City Justice Center.

The shooting quickly became a school-community crisis as well as a criminal case. Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards said Zion Terry’s future had been cut short by evil, and Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Jason Kamras said the district would provide counseling support for students and staff trying to process the loss. John Marshall High School planned to honor Zion Terry as prom king, and school counselor Charita Harris said he was weeks away from graduation and had planned to attend Winston-Salem State University.

Investigators also said there had been no prior domestic-violence calls at that specific home, though Edwards stressed that the absence of previous reports does not mean abuse was not happening. The case has renewed attention on Richmond’s domestic-violence response, including support from city leaders for a Family Justice Center. Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin said she was not sure such a center would have prevented this tragedy.

The broader picture is sobering. Edwards has said Richmond typically sees about 45 felony domestic-violence cases a year, but the city had already reached 56 by June 2025. The YWCA also reported a 6% rise in calls to its 24-hour hotline from fiscal year 2024 to 2025, underscoring how fast a private crisis can become a public one.