Deontae J. Sanders Jr., a 21-year-old African American male, tragically lost his life on April 9, 2022, in China Grove, North Carolina. The incident occurred around 6:50 p.m. when officers responded to a reported shooting at the intersection of Third Avenue and Elm Street. Upon arrival, they found Sanders lying in the street, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
Despite paramedics' efforts to resuscitate him, Sanders succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
The China Grove Police Department quickly identified Jakari Quamaine Gardner, a 21-year-old African American male from Salisbury, as the primary suspect in the case. Gardner was arrested on April 15, 2022, and charged with first-degree murder. He was booked into the Rowan County Detention Center without bond and was scheduled to appear in court on the following Monday.
The investigation revealed that Sanders and Gardner were acquainted, though the motive behind the shooting remains unclear. The China Grove Police Department, along with assistance from the Landis Police Department, Salisbury Police Department, Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police, and the U.S. Marshal’s Service, worked diligently to apprehend Gardner.
Gardner's arrest marked a significant development in the case, but the legal proceedings were just beginning. As the case moved through the court system, the community of China Grove remained vigilant, seeking justice for Deontae J. Sanders Jr. and hoping for a resolution that would bring some measure of closure to his grieving family and friends.
