Nathan Kyle Hester, a 16-year-old male from Shelby, North Carolina, tragically lost his life on June 15, 2020. Nathan was at a mobile home off West Dixon Boulevard when multiple shots were fired into the residence around 8 p.m. He was with two other people at the time, and an eyewitness reported that a group outside the home was causing a commotion and possibly throwing up gang signs. An hour later, shots were fired into the home, hitting Nathan and another individual.
Nathan succumbed to his injuries, while the other injured person was treated and released from Atrium Health Cleveland in Shelby.
Three teenagers were charged with first-degree murder in connection with Nathan's death. Dylan Brian Penson, 19, Tyler Austin Moore, 18, and a 17-year-old boy were all accused of the shooting. Penson made his first appearance in Cleveland County District Court and was assigned a $1 million bond. Moore was held in Cleveland County Jail on no bond, and the 17-year-old was in the custody of juvenile justice. The Cleveland County Sheriff's Office did not release a motive behind the shooting.
In November 2020, a plea deal was offered to Penson, who faced the decision of accepting responsibility for Nathan's death and spending over 21 years in prison or going to trial and risking a life sentence if convicted. The plea deal involved pleading guilty to second-degree murder. The other two teens, Moore and the 17-year-old, also faced first-degree murder charges. The incident that led to Nathan's death involved a confrontation between the suspects and Nathan and his friend earlier in the evening. An hour after the confrontation, the suspects fired gunshots into the mobile home, striking Nathan, who died during surgery. The other person who was shot recovered.
Nathan Hester was a student at Shelby High School and had a love for woodworking, playing video games, and spending time with family. He is survived by his mother, Virginia Hester, his sister, Nicole Hester, his uncle, Phillip Pruitt Jr., his nephew, Jordan Hester, his grandmother, Diane Clary, and his great-grandparent, Virginia Kay Clary. Nathan's death deeply affected the community, and his family and friends mourned the loss of a young life taken too soon.
