Rico Battle, a 34-year-old African American male, was tragically killed in a shooting incident in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, on December 22, 2022. The Rocky Mount Police Department responded to a call around 10:30 p.m. and found Battle unresponsive at the scene on Edgecombe Street. Despite life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead by EMS upon their arrival.
The suspect, Gavin Hill, a 20-year-old male, was found walking away from the scene on the George Street Bridge with a firearm in his possession. Hill was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and is currently being held at the Edgecombe County Detention Facility without bond.
This incident was not the first time Rico Battle had been involved in a shooting. Earlier in June 2022, Battle was involved in an altercation with Dominick Lynch, a 28-year-old male, on Smith Street in Rocky Mount. The two men exchanged gunfire, resulting in both being injured. Battle suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen, while Lynch sustained two gunshot wounds to the leg. Both men were charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, possession of a firearm by a felon, and discharging a weapon in city limits. The police confirmed that the incident was not random and that both men knew each other.
The investigation into Rico Battle's death revealed that the incident was domestic-related, and both Battle and Hill were acquainted. The Rocky Mount Police Department continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting, and Hill remains in custody as the legal proceedings unfold.
