VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A man is charged and accused of killing a woman who was found dead in the Kempsville area over the weekend, according to Virginia Beach police. The arrest was made following a 911 call from a neighbor who found bullet holes in their property, which police say led to them discovering the woman's body next door.
WTKR News 3 has since learned that the two were allegedly in a relationship, according to court documents obtained by Virginia Beach neighborhood reporter John Hood.
Police say on Saturday around 12:20 p.m., a resident who lives in the 600 block of Oleander Circle called 911 saying they discovered bullet holes in their home. Soon after, police arrived and found a dead woman outside the neighboring home.
Watch previous coverage: Neighbor says he was on patio with grandkids when they heard shots fired on Oleander Circle
Police have identified the woman as Christine Donahue, 54, of Virginia Beach. According to a criminal complaint, she had a large wound to her chest consistent with being shot by a shotgun.
The complaint states police found Bryan Burton, 54, of Virginia Beach in the patio area. He was allegedly holding a gun to his head and fell to the ground after firing it.
Police went to help Burton and found he had no obvious signs of injury, the complaint states.
The complaint goes onto say that when police asked Burton what happened, he allegedly told them Donahue was his girlfriend and he shot her because she was going to kick him out.
Burton was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony in connection to Donahue's death.
WTKR News 3 went to the neighborhood Saturday as police were investigating. One neighbor we spoke to says he was on his patio with his grandchildren and other family members when suddenly, they head a noise.
"It was about 11:30 a.m. or so. We heard a couple of loud pops and one of my great nieces says, 'that was a gun,'" he shared.
He says he took one of his grandchildren upstairs for a nap, but about 45 minutes later, police were on the street investigating the shooting. The neighbor tells us he was shocked, telling us it's usually a quiet neighborhood.
"We've been here since 2018 and nothing like this has ever happened, so it's kind of shocking and scary," he shared.
Burton is scheduled to appear in court on June 12.
