A Woodbridge, Virginia, husband and father was stabbed to death just before midnight Wednesday after he tried to break up a fight between his brother-in-law and a man with a knife.
Both 44-year-old Alvin Elroy Cannon and his brother-in-law were stabbed. Cannon died soon after being rushed to the hospital. His brother-in-law is expected to survive.
Cannon's relatives gathered in the driveway, still spattered with blood from the attack. They say he loved family.
"He was just so loving," said niece Salishia Cannon. "He loved his family. He was so family oriented, and I'm goign to miss him a lot."
The neighborhood drama took place in the 15000 block of Cloverdale Road. The victim's relatives say the trouble started at a neighbor's home, just three doors away. Police say the victim's wife had stopped in at a gathering there but got into a verbal altercation with a female resident.
Cannon's wife says she was struck in the head, returned home and phoned her brother and asked him to come over in case there was more trouble. When he arrived, a man from the neighbor's house confronted him in the driveway, threatening with a knife.
Relatives say Elroy Cannon heard the commotion and went outside to try to break up the fight. Both he and his brother-in-law were stabbed.
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The suspect, 31-year-old Brandon Henry, fled, but Prince William County police tracked him down at a nearby townhouse complex and arrested him.
Police believe Henry had been drinking prior to the alleged attack.
"It's just a neighbor dispute, a verbal argument that escalated out of control, possibly fueld by alcohol," said Jonathan Perok, Prince William County police spokesman.
Brandon Henry faces charges of murder and malicious wounding. He's being held without bond.
Cannon's family is struggling to cope with the sudden loss.
"He was just a funny, loving happy person. I love my uncle," said Liniece Cannon. "It's so sad he's gone now."
Cannon worked as an electrician and with a landscaping company. His wife of two years says he provided for her and six children in their combined families.
