RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — After eight months of investigation, Richmond Police detectives have made an arrest for the homicide of a young Richmond chef who was killed in Shockoe Bottom last May.

At approximately 2:10 a.m. on May 21, 2022, Richmond Police officers were called to the 1500 block of East Main Street in Shockoe Bottom for a report of a person down. When officers arrived, they found 23-year-old Xavier Brown of Richmond unresponsive and with a gunshot wound in a parking lot, just a few feet from his parked car. Brown was pronounced dead at the scene.

Brown was known in the Richmond area as an up-and-coming chef who worked at several restaurants and had recently launched a private cooking business where he catered and delivered homemade meals throughout his community. The night he was killed, he was leaving a Shockoe Bottom nightclub where he had been catering for an event.

Xavier Brown was known in the Richmond area as an up-and-coming chef who worked at several restaurants before he was killed in May 2022. Credit: Latasha Dodson.

In June 2022, Richmond Police released surveillance footage of the parking lot where the shooting took place, stating that officers “strongly believed” that the video showed the suspect who had shot Brown. Brown’s family also offered a $3,500 reward for information in the case.

Detectives with the Richmond Police Department have released a new video of the man suspected of killing Xavier Brown, a 23-year-old man shot to death in Shockoe Bottom in May. Credit: Richmond Police Department.

On Friday, Jan. 27, police announced that earlier in the month, Jakwon Taylor, 26, of Richmond, was indicted in connection with the murder of Brown. Taylor has been charged with murder, attempted robbery, two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

“This investigation is an excellent example of the determination of our homicide detectives and a great lesson in the uses of technology to advance public safety,” Interim Chief Rick Edwards said. “Detectives diligently worked through the months and continued to search for video sources to help identify the suspect. We thank the media for broadcasting those images and the public for their tips. It is this spirit of collaboration that makes for a safer Richmond.”

Anyone with further information about this homicide is asked to call Major Crimes Detective M. Gouldman at 804-646-3915.