Joseph Pate, a 52-year-old man from Greenville, NC, tragically lost his life on December 16, 2018. He was shot and killed while boarding a flight at the Pitt-Greenville Airport. The incident occurred around 6 a.m. outside the main entrance to the airport terminal. Police found Joseph Pate with a gunshot wound, and he died at the scene. The suspect, John Reid, a 49-year-old man from Grimesland, was taken into custody shortly after the incident and charged with first-degree murder.
Reid and Pate knew each other, according to the police. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, but the investigation is ongoing.
Joseph Pate was born on May 12, 1966, to Judy Crumpler Pate and Joseph Nelson Pate Sr. in Goldsboro, NC. He was employed by Weyerhaeuser in Grifton, NC. He is survived by his wife, Donna Sease Pate, and three children: Joshua Pate, Brittany Ellisor, and Ashley Ellisor. He also leaves behind two grandchildren, Chase Pate and Hadley Moss, as well as his beloved dog, Lucy. Joseph Pate's funeral services were held on December 21, 2018, at First Christian Church in Roanoke Rapids, NC, with Minister Bane Angles officiating. Interment followed in Cedarwood Cemetery.
The shooting incident at the airport led to the cancellation of an 11 a.m. flight as a precaution for staff and customers. The airport later reopened for business, and normal commercial flight operations resumed. The Greenville Police Department is the lead agency in the investigation, working closely with the Pitt County Sheriff's Office and Pitt-Greenville Airport management and staff. John Reid is currently being held in the Pitt County Detention Center under no bond. The case has garnered significant attention, and the community continues to mourn the loss of Joseph Pate.
