STAUNTON, VA — Virginia State Police are investigating a deadly officer-involved shooting that happened at a Staunton Walmart Tuesday evening. The confrontation took place at 7:15 p.m. on Sept. 22 at the store on Richmond Avenue.
State police said an adult male was pronounced dead at the scene. Staunton police identified him as Montique Treymayne Gaston, 39, of Portsmouth.
No law enforcement officer was hurt in the incident, according to authorities. The Staunton officer involved has been placed on administrative leave while the case is reviewed.
What police say happened at the Richmond Avenue store
Officials have released only limited details about what led to the shooting. Virginia State Police said it was called to investigate the incident after the encounter at the Walmart, but it has not publicly described the circumstances that prompted the use of force.
The store sits on Richmond Avenue, one of Staunton’s major retail corridors. The shooting occurred during evening business hours, when customers and workers would have still been in the area.
Police have not said whether Gaston was armed or what events unfolded immediately before the shot was fired. Those details are expected to remain part of the ongoing investigation.
Victim identified as Montique Treymayne Gaston of Portsmouth
Staunton police identified the man who died as Gaston, who was 39 years old and lived in Portsmouth. Authorities have not released additional background information about him.
The identification gives a clearer picture of the case as investigators work to piece together the sequence of events inside or near the store. At this stage, police have only confirmed that the encounter ended with Gaston’s death and that he was pronounced dead where the shooting happened.
Because the investigation is still open, officials have not said whether any witnesses provided statements or whether additional evidence has been collected from the scene.
Officer placed on administrative leave during review
In line with department policy, the Staunton police officer involved has been placed on administrative leave. That step is standard in many serious police shootings while investigators look into the facts.
Authorities said the officer was not injured. Police did not release the officer’s name.
Administrative leave does not determine fault. It is a temporary measure that allows the investigation to move forward while the officer remains away from active duty.
Virginia State Police lead the investigation
Virginia State Police are taking the lead on the inquiry, which is separate from the local police department’s initial response. The state agency did not immediately release a longer summary of its findings.
Its investigation will be presented to and reviewed by a special prosecutor. That review is part of the process for examining police shootings in Virginia.
For now, the case remains in the fact-gathering stage. State police have not announced a timeline for when their findings will be completed or when the review could begin.
Questions still remain about the moments before the shooting
Many of the most important questions are still unanswered, including what led officers and Gaston into conflict at the Walmart and whether anyone else was directly involved. Police have not described the chain of events in detail.
What is known is that the shooting was fatal, the officer was unharmed, and the review process is underway. The official investigation will determine what happened in the moments before Gaston was killed and whether any additional actions are warranted.
Until then, authorities are treating the case as an active investigation and have offered only the basic facts surrounding the death.
