NORFOLK — A 57-year-old man who shot and killed a man outside a Ghent apartment building was found guilty Wednesday of murder and firearms charges.
A jury in Norfolk Circuit Court deliberated less than an hour before convicting Vandes Jackson of first-degree murder and using a firearm to commit a felony, according to prosecutors. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 5.
The shooting happened July 6, 2024, outside an apartment building at the corner of Core and Gates avenues. Bradley K. Kortbawi was pronounced dead at the scene. The 44-year-old man was a former Marine and a father to two sons, according to his obituary.
Jackson, who is Black, told investigators the shooting happened after he heard Kortbawi use a racial slur while talking to a woman outside. The woman, however, testified that never happened, according to prosecutors.
“Mr. Jackson murdered the victim in cold blood in front of his friend,” Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney Ramin Fatehi said after the jury’s verdict. “He had no legal excuse. That is why we prosecuted him, and it is why the jury found him guilty. My condolences to the family of the victim. At sentencing we will seek a sanction that fits the crime.”
Jane Harper, jane.harper@pilotonline.com
https://www.dailypress.com/2025/09/24/norfolk-fatal-shooting-ghent-apartment/

