Demetrius Gibbs, a 29-year-old African American male, was tragically killed on March 6, 2022, in Northwest, North Carolina. Gibbs, along with 22-year-old Desmond Radford-Lee, was found dead at Crystal Springs Cemetery. The autopsy reports revealed that Gibbs suffered 15 gunshot wounds to his neck, head, torso, and extremities, while Radford-Lee was struck by 10 bullets in his head, torso, and extremities.
The cause of death for both men was determined to be multiple gunshot wounds.
The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m., and the bodies were discovered by family members who called the police at approximately 10:42 p.m. Upon arrival, law enforcement found both men deceased at the scene. The investigation revealed that Gibbs and Radford-Lee knew each other, and it is believed that multiple shooters were involved in their slaying.
Following the shooting, it took over a month for suspects to be apprehended. On April 22, 2022, Christopher Owen Brooks, a 20-year-old male from Leland, North Carolina, was arrested in Greensboro and charged with two counts of murder in connection to the fatal shooting. A 17-year-old boy was also arrested the same day in Charlotte and charged in connection to the killings. Both suspects were charged with two counts of murder and one count of firing into an occupied vehicle inflicting serious injury.
The arrests brought some relief to the community and the families of the victims. Scott Perez, interim chief of police at the Northwest Police Department, expressed his relief at having suspects in custody, acknowledging the heavy burden the incident had placed on the community and the families. The suspects remain in custody in Brunswick County, where they are facing prosecution.
