Aaron Lamar Shepherd, a 28-year-old African American male, tragically lost his life on August 15, 2020, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Aaron, known affectionately as "Lil A," was a loving father, son, brother, and friend. He was born on June 11, 1992, in Winston-Salem and was a longtime resident of the city. Aaron was educated in the Forsyth County school system and was deeply connected to his community.
He is survived by his mother, Lavonia Denise Shepherd, his father, Orlando Lemar Small, his children, Tae’Ron Shepherd, Kennard Oglesby, A’Vrion Shepherd, Zahelm Reese, and Erynne Shepherd, his fiancée, Joyess Slater, and numerous siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.
On the morning of August 15, 2020, at approximately 11:19 a.m., officers from the Winston-Salem Police Department responded to a report of a shooting at 106 Fir Drive. Upon arrival, they found Aaron Shepherd unresponsive in the driveway. Emergency medical personnel pronounced him deceased at the scene. The investigation quickly identified Quinton Lajuan Duncan, a 29-year-old male from Winston-Salem, as the suspect. Duncan was initially charged with possession of a firearm by a felon on the day of the shooting. Later, on December 10, 2020, he was arrested and charged with murder. Duncan is currently being held in the Forsyth County jail without bond.
The case against Quinton Lajuan Duncan proceeded to trial, where a jury in Winston-Salem took just two hours to return a guilty verdict. Duncan was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The swift resolution of the case brought some measure of justice to Aaron Shepherd's family and friends, who continue to mourn his untimely death.
