Man killed child’s mother’s boyfriend in York County, wounded his own child, sheriff’s office says

YORK, Va. (WAVY) — Detectives say Friday’s deadly shooting off George Washington Memorial Highway in York County stemmed from a domestic situation.

33-year-old Adrian Pope now faces multiple charges including 2nd-degree murder after authorities say he shot and killed 44-year-old Floyd James and wounded his own 4-year-old son.

“Emotions were involved; the incident unfolded very quickly,” said Captain Thomas West with the York Poquoson Sheriff’s Office.

Court documents say Pope explained to detectives his child’s mother brought her new boyfriend, Floyd James, with her for a custody exchange at his home.

Documents say Pope and James got into a physical altercation. That’s when Pope allegedly got a gun from his car and shot James, but in the process, also shot one of his own children.

“The child exited the vehicle and walked in the path of the gunfire,” West said.

A neighbor, who didn’t want to go on camera, says she was in the car with her grandson when it all went down.

She says they hid behind the car to dodge bullets; some of them got stuck into her back door. She says she saw Pope shoot James in the back multiple times, and then attempt to save him.

“He was trying to pull him up to get him to go to the hospital, but he was lifeless. Adrian was pushing on his chest trying to do compressions to keep him awake,” the neighbor said.

She says Pope confessed to detectives and was arrested on the scene. 

“The chief of the fire department came up, he asked where the shooter was, and Adrian threw up his hands and said ‘it was me, I shot him I shot him,'” she explained.

James was transported to the hospital where he died.

Officials say the mother of the 4-year-old rushed him to the hospital in her car, but then crashed just up the road. Medics ultimately got the child to the hospital, where he’s in stable condition.

Pope is currently in jail without bond and his preliminary hearing is set for October 12.