Zio Treyshaun Gaither, a 20-year-old African American male, tragically lost his life on June 8, 2021, in Statesville, North Carolina. The incident occurred during a shootout along Williams Road in west Statesville. Gaither was in a car with two other men when the shootout took place. According to court documents, one of the occupants in the vehicle had reached out to Tyrell Dontaye Daniels, a 34-year-old African American male, with whom he had a previous disagreement.
The meetup was intended to resolve any negative feelings, but it turned into an ambush.
Tyrell Dontaye Daniels, also known as "Lil Buckey," was identified as the suspect in the fatal shooting. Daniels has a long list of felony convictions, including first-degree burglary, attempted robbery with a dangerous weapon, possession of a stolen firearm, assault with a dangerous weapon inflicting serious injury, and failure to appear. He also has misdemeanor convictions of assault with a deadly weapon, communicating threats, and assault. The Iredell County Sheriff's Office considered Daniels armed and dangerous and issued a warrant for his arrest.
Daniels fled the scene and was apprehended roughly three months later in Georgia. He was charged with the murder of Zio Treyshaun Gaither. During the Iredell County Superior Court proceedings, Daniels pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the death of Gaither. He was sentenced to up to seven years and nine months in prison.
The investigation into Gaither's death revealed that the shootout was a result of an ambush orchestrated by Daniels. The Iredell County Sheriff's Office conducted a thorough investigation, and the case received significant attention due to the violent nature of the crime and Daniels' extensive criminal history.
