Khalil Rhynhart, a 20-year-old African American male, tragically lost his life on November 5, 2022, in Hickory, North Carolina. Khalil was the passenger in a car driven by his father, Eric Rhynhart, when their vehicle was shot into while traveling north on Lenoir Rhyne Boulevard Southeast. Multiple rounds were fired into the car, causing it to crash.
Khalil was pronounced dead at the scene, while his father, Eric, was transported to a hospital and later stabilized.
The investigation into Khalil Rhynhart's death revealed that the shooting occurred just before 3 a.m. on Highland Avenue Northeast. The Hickory Police Department responded to a call about a car that had driven off the road, where they found both Khalil and his father with gunshot wounds. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, and detectives are working to determine if a second shooting that occurred eight hours later along Third Avenue Southeast is connected.
Three suspects have been arrested in connection to the shooting. On November 17, 2022, Trevin Ali Brown, a 24-year-old male, was arrested and charged with murder and attempted first-degree murder. On December 2, 2022, Jakeis Zameir Harris, an 18-year-old male, was also arrested and charged with murder, attempted first-degree murder, and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, inflicting serious injury. The third suspect, Jalen Tremain Crowell, a 31-year-old male, was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service on August 28, 2023, and charged with murder and attempted first-degree murder.
All three suspects are being held without bond at the Catawba County Jail. The investigation is ongoing, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Hickory Police Department.
