Henrico County Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor announced Wednesday she will seek the Democratic nomination for Virginia attorney general, emphasizing her track record as a prosecutor in what is likely to be a competitive primary contest for the job now held by Republican Jason S. Miyares.
Virginia
Shannon Taylor, top Henrico prosecutor, launches Dem. bid for Virginia AG
“When it comes to protecting women’s rights and our children or standing up against hate, those aren’t just my positions,” she said. “I’ve actually taken on either cases or actions to demonstrate my commitment to those Democratic values.”
Taylor is the first candidate from either party to formally announce a bid for attorney general, one of three statewide offices in Virginia that will be on the ballot next year.
Former state delegate Jay Jones, a Norfolk trial attorney who lost the Democrats’ 2021 primary for attorney general, is widely expected to run for the position again in 2025 — with the backing of former governors Ralph Northam and Terry McAuliffe.
On the Republican side, Miyares has not yet announced whether he will run for reelection as attorney general or if he plans to seek the Republican nomination for governor, as some expect. (Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is term-limited from running again for the job.)
Taylor, 56, is a lifelong Virginia resident who served as a prosecutor in Richmond, oversaw a regional grand jury and worked as criminal defense lawyer before running for her current post, becoming the first Democrat in years to win countywide in Henrico — a once-conservative area closely associated with former House Republican leader Eric Cantor.
She said that as commonwealth’s attorney, she hired more women and people of color to serve as prosecutors and ran her office through the lens of “compassionate accountability,” putting a greater focus on mental health and substance use issues.
“I do call myself a ‘progressive prosecutor,’” she said. “‘Progressive’ is to do things differently. That is exactly what I brought to that office and what I would continue to do if given the opportunity to move forward in a new role.”
But she said she did not hesitate to fight acts of hate, prosecuting a self-identified Ku Klux Klan leader who drove a truck through a crowd of Black Lives Matter protesters and then pushing state lawmakers to strengthen related hate crime legislation.
She has also been involved in a string of high-profile cases, recently serving as special prosecutor in Virginia’s case against one man who was accused of using a flaming torch during the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville to intimidate counterprotesters. The jury failed to reach a verdict in the case — the first test of a new state law meant to ban Ku Klux Klan cross-burnings — though it is expected to return to court this summer for additional proceedings.
Taylor has also previously said she is conducting a probe related to the 2023 death of Irvo Otieno, a Black man in mental distress who was asphyxiated in a Richmond-area hospital while being restrained by three workers and seven sheriff’s deputies.
The case is being prosecuted in nearby Dinwiddie County, where that incident occurred, but Otieno was brought to that facility from a Henrico hospital and then the county jail. The sheriff’s deputies who restrained him for 11 minutes, according to surveillance video, are all from Henrico.
Taylor also pointed to her experience in several statewide efforts, including as past president of the Virginia Association of Commonwealth’s Attorneys and on a working group that reviews legislation for the Virginia State Senate’s Courts of Justice Committee.
Virginia
Man shot, killed by Virginia trooper ID’d after crash ends in deadly stabbing attack
FAIRFAX, Va. (7News) — Virginia State Police have identified the man who was shot and killed by a trooper after a crash ended in a stabbing attack on Interstate 495 Sunday afternoon.
Jared Llamado, 32, of McLean, died at the hospital on Sunday after he was shot.
RELATED | 2 dead, dog killed after stabbing spree, trooper shooting on I-495 in Fairfax County
Investigators said Llamado was confronted by the trooper who opened fire around 1:17 p.m. The trooper was responding to a report of a road rage incident and found Llamado with a knife, according to a news release.
Four stabbing victims, all women, were also found at the scene, along with a dog that was also stabbed.
Michelle Adams, 39, died from her injuries. The dog also did not survive. The three other women were all taken to the hospital with serious injuries, according to VSP. 7News is not identifying the surviving victims.
Investigators said the stabbings stemmed from a crash in the southbound lanes of I-495.
The trooper who opened fire was not hurt and is on leave pending the outcome of the investigation into the use of force.
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Investigators said they do not believe the attack is connected to terrorism.
Virginia
Two dead after I-495 road rage incident leads to stabbing, Virginia State Police shooting – WTOP News
A road rage incident led to a shooting involving the Virginia State Police on Sunday on Interstate 495. Four individuals were also stabbed.
Two people are dead Sunday in Annandale, Virginia, after a road rage incident led to a shooting involving Virginia State Police on Interstate 495.
A release issued by the Virginia State Police said a trooper fatally shot a man after responding to a report of a road rage incident on the southbound lanes of I-495 just before 1:30 p.m. at exit 52, near the Little River Turnpike.
The man, transferred to a hospital with serious injuries, has been pronounced dead. VSP said the trooper shot in self-defense after the man confronted him with a knife.
The trooper did not suffer any injuries during the altercation.
Officials found four stabbing victims at the scene, but only identified a 39-year-old woman and a dog. Both the woman and the dog died.
Early findings suggest the stabbings took place after a crash on the Capital Beltway. The crash remains under investigation.
The VSP’s release comes after the main lanes of the Capital Beltway Outer Loop, before Little River Turnpike, were closed to traffic for several hours, only recently opening the express lanes. Main lanes between Arlington Boulevard and the Little River Turnpike remain closed.
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Virginia
Virginia Huffman Obituary February 27, 2026 – Ott & Lee Funeral Homes
Mary “Virginia” Huffman, 82, of Pelahatchie, Mississippi, passed away on February 27, 2026.
Born on February 28, 1943, in Morton, Mississippi, she was the daughter of Carl and Nannie Mae Bradshaw. She married the love of her life, Jimmy Lavell Huffman, on June 14, 1963, and together they built a life rooted in faith, family, and hard work. Virginia devoted nearly 50 years to teaching high school math, beginning at Morton High School and later serving at East Rankin Academy. Generations of students were shaped by her steady guidance, high expectations, and deep belief in their potential. Many would say they entered college prepared because they had learned from “Mrs. Huffman.” Her students knew the famous “Mrs. Huffman look,” but no one understood it quite like her children and grandchildren. To many, she was more than a teacher—she was a mentor, encourager, and second mother.
A faithful member of Cross Roads Baptist Church, Virginia was a true matriarch and prayer warrior whose life was anchored in her love for the Lord. She woke each morning to study the Word of God and carried that faith into every conversation, classroom, and season of life. She played piano and organ, sang in the choir, and on Sunday mornings could often be found at home practicing the piano before church—something her family dearly loved listening to. She served her church and community with quiet devotion. Whether tutoring students during the summer, helping families in need, or visiting church members, she consistently lived out a servant’s heart.
She loved farm life—raising chickens and cows, cutting hay, tending her flower beds, and cooking for the people she loved. She was especially known for her strawberry pies, egg custard, and caramel cake (see Cheryl Moore for the recipe). She faithfully attended her grandchildren’s sporting events and found her greatest joy in cheering on her family. She loved deeply and wholeheartedly, treating not only her own children and grandchildren as treasures, but embracing many others in her community as if they were her own.
She is survived by her husband, Jimmy Lavell Huffman; her children, Connie Goodman (Mike), Karen Jones, and Jade Huffman; her grandchildren, Christin (Colby) (Candace), Christopher (Victoria), Dillon, Marley, Halle (Elijah), Kyla Kate, and Eli; her great-grandchildren, Autumn, Titus, Sophia, Liam, Scarlett, Luke, and Ava; and her siblings, Paul (Joyce) and Delilah.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Nannie Mae Bradshaw; her in-laws, Clyde Sr. and Zora Huffman; her son, Scot Huffman; and her sisters, May Erving and Maxine Strong.
Virginia will be remembered as a woman of unwavering faith, steadfast strength, and extraordinary love. Her legacy lives on in the family she nurtured, the students she prepared, and the countless lives she covered in prayer.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm – until on Sunday, March 1, 2026 at Cross Roads Baptist Church in Pelahatchie and again on Monday, March 2, 2026 from 12 pm – 1 pm.
Services will be held at 1pm Monday, March 2, 2026 at Cross Roads Baptist Church with burial in the church cemetery.
Bro. John Vaughn, Bro. Gary Morris and Bro. Steven Platt will officate the services.
Pallbearers will be Tim Wolverton, Colby Boyd, Christopher Wilson, Dillon Pettigrew, Eli Huffman and Elijah Moore.
Ott and Lee Funeral Home in Morton is honored to serve the Huffman family.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Cross Roads Baptist Church Building Fund.
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