On Wednesday afternoon, January 28th, 2026, tragedy struck. A woman was stabbed outside of Mooretown Road, in front of Ross. The woman was allergy stabbed completely unprovoked and the suspect fled in a car and a bystander followed the suspect to nearby a Home Depot. The police were then entangled in a fight between them and the suspect. The suspect was then identified as 33-year-old Stephen Thomas Ball.
The suspect ended the interaction between him and police by grabbing a hammer and lunging at the police. At that point police fired and fatally shot Ball. Although emergency services delivered him to the nearby hospital, Sentara General Hospital, it was determined he was deceased minutes after the shots. Fortunately, the woman, who has opted to remain unidentified, was struck by non-fatal wounds and is now recovering the hospital.
It has remained unconfirmed what made Ball strike the unidentified victim. However, relatives have called his mental health shaky and unstable. The police from both York-Poquoson and James city county were both arrived at the scene, and both delivered press messages on this event. Sheriff Ron Montgomery and James City Counties’ police chief, Mark Jamison, both had statements in which they confirm Thomas acted unprovoked. They also give thanks to a nearby citizen who had followed Thomas from Ross to Home Depot, this allowed police to quickly track the suspect down and with some interaction allow them to take down Ball
All in all, this stabbing outside of Dress for Less Ross, shows an unfortunate story of mental instability. This event is very unlike the Williamsburg area known for its decently low crime rates and its renowned police forces. Ross at this time has not made a statement and is unlikely to. This event right outside of Mooretown Road will be marked down as an unfortunate tragedy from police and citizens alike in Williamsburg.
