RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC)– A year after a Powhatan man was shot and killed, his family is speaking out against gun violence in Richmond.
24-year-old Dylan Poonsammy was shot and killed in the parking lot of 404 Rivertowne apartments on Oct. 24, 2021. In November 2021, Richmond Police arrested and charged a suspect in the case for conspiracy to murder. He has since been released without enough information to keep him in custody.
A year later, despite offering $10,000 for information regarding his murder — in addition to a $1,000 crime stoppers reward — his mother Sherry Poonsammy told 8News she is still left wondering who killed her son.
“As a mother, this has been the hardest thing for me and my family. My grandsons will grow up not knowing their father,” Poonsammy said.
According to Richmond Police, on the night of Oct. 24, Poonsammy was shot multiple times in the back parking lot of an apartment complex on Westover Hills Boulevard. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Richmond Detective Anthony Coates is leading this investigation. For now, there is still no update in this case.
Poonsammy said that the increase in violence that she has seen in the Richmond area has saddened her to hear that other families continue to bear with the loss of a loved one due to murder.
“Now I feel the pain because I am a parent that lost my child to gun violence. And this gun violence needs to stop,” she said.
Poonsammy said she feels teens are turning to guns to let out their violence rather than using positive outlets.
“No one is getting charged for murder. So I can just walk around and kill anyone and get away with it,” she said. “It brings us deep sorrow, disappointment, anger …. a lot of things go along with it.”
Poonsammy said her son was a loving and hardworking young man and would do anything to give to other people.
“He was a giving young man. He was a man that helped people. Gave, if he had it and if he didn’t have it, he would find it and give it to you,” Poonsammy said.
In order to keep Dylan Poonsammy’s legacy alive, the family says they are working to start a foundation in his honor.
If you have any information about the case you’re asked to call Detective Coates at 804-646-0729.
