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A man was shot dead in Norfolk; 7 months later, a family searches for answers

Posted at 5:19 PM, May 25, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-25 22:49:29-04

NORFOLK, Va. – It’s been seven months and a family is still searching for answers.

A young father was gunned down days before Halloween.

On October 28, Norfolk Police were called out to the 1300 block of Oklahoma Avenue for a gunshot victim.

Friday, police said they don’t have any suspect information.

24-year-old Samad Brailsford was the victim, and his family is obviously distraught.

Samad Brailsford

Vera Pearson, a mother of four, is now experiencing a pain no parent should have to endure - the loss of a child.

She said Samad was her second oldest and she can’t believe he is gone. He would have been 25 this July.

“He's always going to hold a special place in my heart and when they took him, they took a piece of me. I miss my son. I just want my son back. It's hard,” Pearson told us last October.

It happened around 3 a.m. the weekend before Halloween.

The Bayside High School graduate is described by family members as strong, reliable and funny. The father of two young kids got his HVAC license and was excelling at work.

"It's been a struggle," said Samad's aunt, Alesia Spencer. "I think the biggest thing is not knowing who or why."

Pearson said her son's death feels like it happened yesterday.

Samad's family said he was visiting his children that night and answered the door when someone fired shots. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

"Even after they told me there was nothing else they could do, I begged them, holding his hand not to give up," Spencer told us.

The family said they have raised a substantial amount of money for a reward, believing that whoever killed Samad is still out there.

"It's time for somebody to come forward and own the damage that they've done to my family," Pearson said.

Norfolk Police are asking anyone with information on this case to call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP (1-888-562-5887). You could be eligible for a reward.

Related:

Exclusive: Family desperate for answers after young father killed during Halloween weekend

Man dies from injuries in Norfolk shooting, homicide investigation underway