Franklin County High School Coach Fatally Shot in Pittsylvania County
PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) — A tragic shooting Sunday night has left a local high school coach dead, and one man is now in custody on murder charges.
Authorities responded to a call at 9:20 p.m. on July 27, 2025, reporting a shooting at a convenience store located at 1344 West Gretna Road in Gretna. Officers from the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, Gretna Police, and Virginia State Police arrived to find 46-year-old Tony Demond Gill, a coach at Franklin County High School, deceased at the scene.
The suspect, James Richard Mattox, 52, was arrested and charged with murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Investigators say the two men were acquainted prior to the incident.
Gill’s body has been transported to the Office of the Medical Examiner to determine the official cause and manner of death.
Mattox made his first court appearance Monday in Pittsylvania County General District Court and is currently being held without bond. A bond hearing is scheduled for August 19, 2025, with a preliminary hearing set for September 15, 2025, at 1:30 PM in the same court.
