Carlos Emanuel Thurman Gillis, a 38-year-old African American male from Hope Mills, NC, was tragically killed in a shooting on September 18, 2021. The incident occurred around 1:13 a.m. near the corner of US 301 South and McDonald Road. Gillis was pronounced dead at the scene, while another man was rushed to the hospital with a gunshot wound to his leg. A third person, described as an "involved party," was located near the Robeson County line.
The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office stated that the shooting was not believed to be random and that the investigation was ongoing.
Emanuel Antonio Patterson, a 30-year-old male from Fayetteville, NC, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, felony conspiracy, and robbery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the shooting death of Carlos Emanuel Thurman Gillis. Patterson was also facing pending charges of felony breaking and entering to terrorize/injure and misdemeanor communicating threats in Cumberland County. He was accused of making repeated threatening phone calls to the mother of his child and breaking into her home in August 2021. Patterson was being held without bail at the Cumberland County Detention Center.
A second suspect, Prentice Oran McMillan, a 42-year-old male from Fayetteville, NC, turned himself in to the authorities on October 10, 2021. McMillan was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, felony conspiracy, and robbery with a dangerous weapon. He was also being held without bond at the Cumberland County Detention Center. The investigation into the shooting death of Carlos Emanuel Thurman Gillis continued, with authorities urging anyone with information to come forward.
The tragic death of Carlos Emanuel Thurman Gillis highlighted the ongoing issue of gun violence in the community. The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office and local law enforcement agencies were working diligently to bring justice to the victim and his family. The case remained under investigation, and further details were expected to emerge as the legal proceedings continued.
