Monty Leroy Simmons, a 48-year-old African American male, was tragically killed on May 5, 2018, in Sanford, North Carolina. Simmons was found with multiple gunshot wounds inside a home at 2218 Dalrymple Street late that Saturday night. Emergency medical services arrived on the scene but were unable to save him, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Alongside Simmons, a 16-year-old girl named Aaliyah Chalmers was also shot during the incident.
She was taken to UNC Hospitals for treatment and was expected to recover.
The Sanford Police Department quickly identified a suspect in the case: a 15-year-old boy. The teenager was arrested on Monday, May 7, 2018, and charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and possession of a firearm by a minor. The police did not disclose the relationship between the suspect, Simmons, and Chalmers, nor did they provide a motive for the shooting. The suspect was scheduled to appear before a judge in Lee County juvenile court later that week.
The arrest of the young suspect brought some relief to Simmons' grieving family. Alicia Williams Stone, Simmons' cousin, expressed her hope for justice, describing Simmons as a good person who did not get into trouble. The community was left in shock, grappling with the senseless violence that claimed the life of a beloved family member and injured a young girl. The investigation into the motive behind the shooting continued, as the police worked to piece together the events leading up to that tragic night.
