This brutal and deeply unsettling episode has prompted urgent questions about familial safety, the potential intersections of domestic relationships and violence, and the mechanisms in place to protect vulnerable children in volatile environments. The story, while still unfolding, already exposes a complicated web of interpersonal connections, procedural law enforcement coordination, and the emotional devastation left in the wake of a fatal act that cut short the life of a young mother and placed her child in peril.

A Shooting in Broad Daylight: Initial Response and Discovery

The Norfolk Police Department was alerted to reports of gunfire shortly before 11:30 a.m. on Monday. The location: the 900 block of East Liberty Street, situated near the community-centric Berkley Park, an area generally considered to be a mix of residential calm and modest commercial activity. Responding officers arrived to a scene of chaos and trauma. There, they discovered Alexus L. Foreman, lifeless from an apparent gunshot wound.

Police have not released additional specifics about the immediate condition of the scene—such as the number of shots fired, whether neighbors reported hearing arguments, or if there were signs of forced entry or a struggle—but what is clear is that this was not an isolated act. This was an act of violence that carried with it not only the tragic weight of a lost life but the immediate uncertainty of a child’s whereabouts. Foreman’s young son, four-year-old Kai, was missing. It was not merely a case of a child fleeing in fear or being lost in the confusion; authorities rapidly suspected abduction.

Triggering an Amber Alert: Timeline and Mobilization

With the child’s disappearance confirmed and law enforcement believing he was in “immediate danger,” an Amber Alert was swiftly issued that afternoon. In Virginia, as with other states, the issuance of such an alert requires that certain criteria be met: a confirmed abduction, a credible threat of serious bodily harm or death, and enough descriptive information about the victim or abductor to assist in recovery efforts. That threshold was clearly met in this case.

The suspect named in the alert was 27-year-old Tyli N. Scott. Although police publicly acknowledged that Scott was “known to the child,” they have not elaborated on the precise nature of his relationship to either Alexus Foreman or Kai. The use of such language—“known to the child”—typically implies a person with either a familial connection, long-term acquaintance, or role in the child’s life, rather than a random or opportunistic perpetrator. The deliberate withholding of this information may be strategic, intended to protect the integrity of the investigation or shield certain individuals, possibly even the child, from premature media scrutiny.

What followed was a coordinated and intensely focused search operation, drawing on the resources of multiple law enforcement agencies. The Virginia Beach Police Department joined with Norfolk PD in canvassing the broader Hampton Roads area. Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshal Task Force—often called upon in cases of child abduction or fugitive recovery—offered their expansive surveillance and tactical expertise.

The Recovery of Kai Foreman: A Late-Night Breakthrough

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, at approximately 12:50 a.m., the search reached its resolution. Authorities located Kai Foreman at a home on Huntley Way in Virginia Beach—an area nearly 20 miles away from where his mother was slain. Remarkably, the child was physically unharmed. Though police have not provided details about his emotional state or any witness account of his time during the hours-long ordeal, the safe recovery was nonetheless a rare relief in what had otherwise been a catastrophic narrative.

Kai was subsequently returned to the care of a guardian. Authorities, again, did not specify the identity of that guardian—whether it was a family member, a child protective services representative, or someone else entirely. The ambiguity may suggest ongoing custody considerations or the involvement of family court proceedings, which often run parallel to criminal cases when children are involved.

Arrest and Charges: Tyli N. Scott in Custody

At the same Huntley Way address where Kai was found, officers arrested Tyli N. Scott. The arrest was executed without incident—a notable fact in a climate where high-stakes apprehensions can often turn violent. Scott was transported to the Norfolk City Jail, where he remains held without bond. The charges levied against him are substantial: second-degree murder, as well as use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. These charges reflect the seriousness of the alleged crimes and suggest prosecutors are confident in the evidence already gathered, though the precise motive and chain of events remain opaque.

What the public does know is that Kai was taken from the same location where his mother was killed. This detail, confirmed by investigators, cements the two events—the murder and the abduction—as directly linked, although the nature of that linkage has yet to be publicly detailed. For instance, it remains unclear whether Foreman was killed in the process of resisting the abduction, whether the murder was premeditated with the kidnapping as a secondary act, or whether another dynamic—perhaps rooted in family conflict, custody disputes, or domestic issues—was at play.

A Community Reeling, a Case Unfolding

The Norfolk community has been left stunned. The violent death of a mother and the endangerment of her small child in such a public and brutal manner has ignited intense concern about the stability of family structures under duress, the warning signs of potential domestic violence, and the responsiveness of systems designed to detect and intervene before tragedy strikes.

Alexus L. Foreman’s identity as a mother is central to the case. While no further biographical details have been released, the fact that she was raising a young child—possibly as a single mother, though that has not been confirmed—adds layers of poignancy and social context to her death. Her murder is not simply an isolated crime but part of a broader national conversation about violence against women, especially within domestic or relational frameworks.

In the United States, intimate partner violence remains a pervasive issue. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in four women have experienced severe intimate partner violence in their lifetime. Many such cases escalate to lethal outcomes, often when a woman attempts to leave or resists coercive control. While the connection between Scott and Foreman remains publicly undefined, the circumstantial details of this case—shooting followed by child abduction—mirror patterns commonly found in domestic violence-related homicides.

Legal Proceedings and Investigative Challenges Ahead

The next phases of the legal process will be crucial. Prosecutors will need to build a case that convincingly ties Scott to both the murder and the abduction, possibly establishing premeditation or at least sufficient intent to sustain a second-degree murder conviction. Defense attorneys may argue for a lesser charge or seek to question the timeline, Scott’s state of mind, or the admissibility of evidence.

Investigators are still gathering witness statements, collecting forensic evidence, and reconstructing the timeline leading up to the shooting. Questions remain about whether neighbors witnessed the incident, whether surveillance footage captured any part of the crime, and whether there was any prior history of disputes involving Foreman and Scott. Additionally, police have issued a public plea for more information—standard procedure in complex investigations, but also an indication that significant elements of the case remain unresolved.

Implications for Law Enforcement and Child Protection

The swift coordination among local and federal law enforcement agencies demonstrates the value of interagency collaboration in time-sensitive investigations. The successful location and recovery of Kai Foreman is a testament to the efficiency of the Amber Alert system and the utility of federal resources in local crises. However, the case also underscores the limitations of law enforcement’s preventative capacities when it comes to domestic conflicts that escalate rapidly.

One critical and unresolved aspect is the preventive infrastructure around family and child welfare. If Scott had any previous legal or behavioral issues involving the family—or if there had been warning signs that were not escalated or reported—it raises the question of whether interventions could have prevented this tragedy. These questions are not just prosecutorial in nature but extend into social work, community education, and mental health spheres.

Conclusion: A Tragedy Marked by Unanswered Questions

At its core, the death of Alexus L. Foreman and the temporary abduction of her son Kai represent a deeply personal tragedy that has spilled into the public consciousness. While the child’s safe recovery is a source of consolation, it cannot undo the trauma inflicted nor the life lost. As Tyli N. Scott awaits trial, the community awaits answers—not only about what happened, but why it happened.

Until those answers come, Alexus Foreman’s name stands as a stark reminder of the fragility of life in the shadow of violence, the vulnerability of children caught in adult conflicts, and the enduring challenge of preventing senseless tragedies within American communities.