Richmond Father Charged After Teens Killed Inside Home

On the morning of April 21, 2026, Levy Nelson, 41, opened fire inside a home on 5th Avenue in Richmond, Virginia’s Highland Park neighborhood. He shot his 14-year-old daughter, Sadie Terry, his girlfriend’s 18-year-old son, Zion Terry, and their mother, Tiffany Terry, 38. Zion died at the scene. Sadie was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the head and died from her injuries four days later. Tiffany survived. Nelson was arrested hours after the shooting following a pursuit through Henrico County, during which he rammed three police cruisers.

Who Sadie and Zion Were

Sadie Terry was an eighth grader at Henderson Middle School. Her principal described her as a vibrant student who came to school every day with a bright smile and had become a peer mentor to sixth- and seventh-grade girls. She wanted to pursue engineering and had plans to join a military program in high school. Zion Terry was a senior at John Marshall High School, weeks away from graduating at the top of his class. He had been accepted to continue his education in Winston-Salem and planned to become a nurse. His family described him as someone who could lift a room. ‘Zion was a light,’ his cousin Ainsley Terry told CBS 6. ‘If you were having a bad day, he’ll make you feel better.’

A Mother Who Survived

Tiffany Terry, 38, was shot alongside her children and is recovering from her injuries. She gave her first public statement days after the shooting, speaking through tears. ‘I want them to not think of them as a tragedy, but I want them to think of them as life in this world,’ she said. She called Sadie her only daughter - ‘my princess’ - and Zion her oldest son and protector. ‘He made me so, so proud to be his mother,’ Tiffany said. ‘I thank God for letting me be his mother.’ A GoFundMe campaign established to support Tiffany raised more than $52,000 from community members. A joint funeral for the siblings was held on May 9.

The Charges Against Nelson

Nelson was initially charged with malicious wounding and felony use of a firearm on the day of the shooting. Following a Richmond grand jury indictment on May 6, his charges were expanded to include two counts of aggravated murder of multiple persons, child abuse, violent felon in possession of a weapon, malicious assault, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and violent felon possessing a weapon. He now faces 11 charges in total. Nelson is a convicted felon, which legally prohibited him from possessing a firearm. Investigators are examining how he obtained the weapon. He is being held without bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 19.

A Community in Grief

Richmond Police Chief Rick Edwards said investigators had no prior domestic violence calls to the home, though he acknowledged that does not mean none occurred. ‘If you know someone in your family or someone you love that has experienced domestic violence, they need to get help,’ Edwards said at a press conference. Domestic violence organizations called for stronger community intervention protocols in the aftermath of the killings. For Tiffany Terry, the road forward is one she is walking on faith. ‘They loved just like I loved,’ she said. ‘All the people they have touched in this world will always have a piece of Sadie and Zion with them.’

References: Cousin Remembers Sadie and Zion Terry | Father Charged With Murder Following Domestic Shooting That Killed Sadie and Zion Terry | Mother Grieves Loss of 2 Children Killed in Triple Shooting