NORFOLK, Va. - A 30-year-old Virginia Beach man was sentenced to 17 years in prison in connection with his role in the 2019 murder of a 31-year-old Norfolk man at the Downtown Norfolk Transit Center.
On May 29, 2019, Ferrari Aramis Ferdinand shot Quontrell Deon Snowden after the two men got into an argument at the transit center, located at 434 St. Paul's Boulevard.
According to court documents, the argument became physical, and video surveillance captured the two men fighting for a short time before Snowden began backing away from Ferdinand. Surveillance footage then showed Ferdinand pulling out a gun, advancing on Snowden and shooting him seven times.
Norfolk Police officers were already in the area when they heard shots fired and quickly apprehended Ferdinand.
Snowden was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where he died.
Court documents say Ferdinand admitted to police that he shot Snowden, but claimed he only pulled the trigger twice and that he was acting out of concern that Snowden had a gun. Snowden was unarmed, police said.
Ferdinand was found guilty of second-degree murder and using a firearm in commission of murder.
“Mr. Snowden died tragically and senselessly at Mr. Ferdinand’s hands, and for nothing,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi. “Rather than do a thousand other, better things, Mr. Ferdinand chose to introduce a gun to the argument, to kill Mr. Snowden, and to endanger other people simply waiting to ride a city bus. Nothing will undo the crime that Mr. Ferdinand has committed, but we have held Mr. Ferdinand accountable. We hope that this sentence will bring some closure and peace to Mr. Snowden’s family.”
