Takeyia De’Shay Berry, a 39-year-old African American woman, was tragically killed on December 2, 2021, in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Berry, along with her 3-year-old daughter, Allura Pledger, and 18-year-old Jaquan White, was shot and killed in a triple homicide. The incident occurred in a residential area off Perry Street and Jordan Street, where the victims were inside a car just outside a home. The car, with a shattered back windshield, was towed away from the scene the following morning. Multiple bullet holes were found in nearby vehicles and buildings.
Berry's family described her as a vibrant, generous, and loving person. They believe she was an innocent bystander, giving a ride to Roderick White, who was also shot but survived. Berry's family suspects that Roderick White was the intended target of the shooting and that he knows more about the incident than he has revealed to the police.
The Elizabeth City Police Department, in conjunction with the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, is still investigating the homicide. No suspects were initially named, but later, warrants were obtained for Ricky Lewis Etheridge Jr., a 34-year-old man from Elizabeth City. Etheridge is wanted on three counts of murder for the deaths of Berry, Pledger, and White. He is considered armed and dangerous.
The community has come together to support the families of the victims and to call for an end to gun violence. The Pasquotank NAACP and Mothers Against Gun Violence have been vocal in their efforts to raise awareness and demand justice for the innocent lives lost.
