Jerry Eugene Sumpter, a 39-year-old African American male, was fatally shot on September 17, 2015, in the parking lot of a Walmart in the Brier Creek area of Raleigh, North Carolina. The incident occurred around 10:40 p.m., and Sumpter was pronounced dead after being transported to Duke University Hospital. Another individual, Emil Emit Sherwood, 36, was also injured in the shooting but survived with non-life-threatening injuries.
Both Sumpter and Sherwood had faced drug and weapons charges in the past.
The investigation into Sumpter's death led to the arrest of two suspects. Anthony Isiah Carrington, 24, and Tavarese Demond Vine, 25, both from Durham, were charged with Sumpter's murder. Carrington was arrested on September 23, 2015, while Vine was taken into custody earlier. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear, but authorities have stated that it was not a random act. The suspects fled the scene in a white Dodge Charger and a silver Honda Accord.
The case has connections to another tragic event involving Vine's family. Vine's sister, Dymond Patrice Fowler, 19, was abducted and killed in Durham in August 2015. Her friend, Alexis Patterson, 17, survived the attack by pretending to be dead. Five people have been charged with murder in Fowler's case, and Durham police are searching for a sixth suspect. Vine's mother, Donna Fowler, expressed concerns about retaliation following her daughter's death, but declined to comment on whether she believed the Brier Creek shooting was related.
The investigation into Sumpter's murder is ongoing, with authorities continuing to gather evidence and search for additional suspects. The Raleigh police have urged anyone with information to come forward and assist in solving the case.
