Mareco Lawilder McNair, a 33-year-old African American male, tragically lost his life on March 9, 2018, in Wadesboro, North Carolina. The incident occurred at Mr. D’s Bar and Grill, located at 1300 East Caswell Street. On the night of the shooting, gunfire erupted inside the establishment, resulting in the deaths of three men, including Mareco McNair, and injuring a female victim. The other two deceased victims were identified as JA’Ques Kerreon McBryde and Thomas Maye III.
The female victim was transported to Carolinas Medical Center-Charlotte for treatment and was later released.
The Wadesboro Police Department, with assistance from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, conducted a thorough investigation into the incident. Two days after the shooting, authorities arrested 30-year-old Robbie Rakim Harris Jr. and charged him with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury. Harris was held in the Anson County Jail without bond and faced additional misdemeanor charges in Durham County, including communicating threats and false imprisonment.
In July 2023, Robbie Rakim Harris Jr. pled guilty in Anson County Superior Court to one count of second-degree murder for the death of Mareco McNair and two counts of voluntary manslaughter for the deaths of Thomas Maye III and JA’Ques Kerreon McBryde. Harris also pled guilty to one count of assault with a deadly weapon serious injury and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. As part of the plea agreement, Harris received a 166-month minimum, 212-month maximum active sentence in the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections for the second-degree murder, both voluntary manslaughters, and the possession of a firearm by a felon. Additionally, Harris was sentenced to a 29-month minimum, 47-month maximum suspended sentence, and given 36 months probation for the assault with a deadly weapon serious injury charge.
The tragic incident at Mr. D’s Bar and Grill raised questions about the level of security provided at the establishment. The owner of the bar voluntarily surrendered the alcohol permit following the shooting, and the business was subsequently closed. The Murray Law Firm, representing the victims' families, questioned whether negligent security measures, such as the lack of weapons screenings, metal detectors, surveillance cameras, and security patrols, contributed to the tragedy. The firm suggested that the families of the victims, including Mareco McNair, may have legal avenues for justice and claims for substantial compensation due to the potential negligence of the property owner or management in providing adequate security to protect patrons.
