On April 22, 2017, Christopher Stewart Phillips, a 38-year-old man from Waynesville, NC, was fatally shot by his friend and neighbor, Justin Scott Fuller, 29, of Waynesville. Phillips had texted Fuller earlier that day, asking for a ride to a store. When Fuller arrived, he walked in on an argument between Phillips and his girlfriend. Witnesses gave varying accounts of the incident, but within moments of getting out of his car, Fuller shot Phillips six times.
Fuller claimed self-defense,
stating that Phillips had grabbed him by the arm and would not stop coming at him. However, Phillips' girlfriend contradicted those claims, saying there was no altercation before Fuller emptied his pistol into Phillips. Fuller then drove to his residence, told his wife what happened, called his grandmother, and surrendered to police without incident.
Justin Scott Fuller was charged with murder and later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He was sentenced to 15 to 19 years in prison. The case was described as avoidable and unnecessary, with Fuller's actions seen as a gross overreaction to what he perceived as a domestic violence event.
Phillips' mother, Deborah Phillips, delivered a letter to the court, expressing her grief and describing her son as a kind person who had spoken highly of Fuller the night before the shooting. The incident left the community in shock and sorrow, with many mourning the loss of Phillips.
