April Elesha Whitley, a 33-year-old woman from Woodleaf, North Carolina, tragically lost her life on May 18, 2021. Born on April 5, 1988, in Salisbury, she was the daughter of Susie Barbee Whitley and David Whitley. April was educated in the West Rowan schools and graduated from West Rowan High School in 2005. She was employed at various local establishments, including C's Barbecue, Cleveland, Woodleaf BP, and Ryan's Restaurant.
April was also an active member of Fisher Street Baptist Church in Concord.
On the night of her death, April was found shot in a truck on Gheen Road in Salisbury. According to the Rowan County Sheriff's Office, she was shot in the chest after the vehicle she was riding in parked in the driveway of a home at 1270 Gheen Road. As people exited the vehicle, a person jumped out of a nearby ditch and started shooting, striking April in the right side of her chest. She succumbed to her injuries in a Rowan County EMS ambulance shortly after arriving at the Novant Health Rowan Medical Center emergency room.
The investigation into April's death revealed that the Rowan County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to the Gheen Road home at around 10:45 p.m. on May 18, 2021. Paramedics working a different call at 1305 Gheen Road were informed by a man that a female gunshot victim was in his vehicle. The man and others in the vehicle left the scene without providing further information. Deputies found shell casings in the driveway of 1270 Gheen Road and questioned the occupants of the residence and nearby residents.
Despite ongoing efforts, the identity of the shooter remains unknown. The Rowan County Sheriff's Office has continued to follow leads and has asked for the public's assistance in solving the case. The local Crime Stoppers program has been reactivated to help gather information and bring resolution to unsolved cases, including April's murder.
