Blade McKinley Campbell, a 23-year-old male from Taylorsville, North Carolina, passed away unexpectedly on March 24, 2019. Blade was known for his love of photography, motorcycles, hiking, and working on cars. He was employed as a stocker at the Taylorsville Walmart and was described as agnostic. Blade's sudden death left his family and friends in shock and mourning.
On the morning of March 24, 2019, at approximately 11:44 a.m., Alexander County 911 received a call reporting a shooting incident at a residence on Middle Road in the Stony Point community. Upon arrival, officers found Blade McKinley Campbell, age 23, deceased from multiple gunshot wounds. The investigation revealed that Blade and Antonio Castillo, a 22-year-old male from Stony Point, were involved in an altercation when Castillo pulled out a pistol and shot Blade.
Antonio Castillo, the suspect in the shooting, fled the scene in a 2006 Nissan Altima. Authorities located the vehicle on Pierpoint Lane in Taylorsville later that day, but Castillo was not with the vehicle. At approximately 4:20 p.m., officers found Castillo at a residence on Jessica Lee Lane, across from Pierpoint Lane. Castillo attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended by officers. During the arrest, officers found two bags containing an AR-15 and numerous rounds of ammunition on Castillo. However, the AR-15 was not the weapon used in the shooting.
Castillo was charged with murder and held in the Alexander County Detention Center without bond. The Grand Jury later returned a true bill of indictment, moving the case to Superior Court. In 2022, Antonio Castillo entered a guilty plea for the murder of Blade McKinley Campbell and was sentenced to 16-20 years in state prison.
