NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for fatally shooting a man at the Downtown Norfolk Transit Center in 2019.
According to a Norfolk Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office news release, Ferrari Aramis Ferdinand was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison with six suspended on a charge of second-degree murder. He was also given the mandatory three-year sentence for use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Officers were called to the 400 block of St. Pauls Boulevard just before midnight on May 29, 2019.
Police said 31-year-old Quontrell D. Snowden was found shot at the scene. Snowden was taken to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where he later died.
According to prosecutors, Ferdinand and Snowden got into an argument at the transit center as they and others were waiting or passing through the area.
The argument became physical and the two men fought for a period of time. Video surveillance showed Snowden then start to back away from Ferdinand with his hands up. Snowden was several feet away and still backing up when Ferdinand pulled out a gun and began shooting at him.
He shot Snowden seven times, even after he dropped to the ground.
Ferdinand admitted to shooting Snowden following the incident, but said he only pulled the trigger twice and had been concerned Snowden also had a weapon — which he did not.
Ferdinand was found guilty of second-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in November 2021.
“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.”
