Leandre Jamarcus Laguerre, a 25-year-old African American male, tragically lost his life on June 7, 2015, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The incident occurred during a house party on Wagon Wheel Court, where gunfire erupted in front of the residence. Laguerre, who resided on Homestead Court, suffered fatal injuries in the shooting. Two other individuals, Clevaun Breece, 21, and Kenneth Burch, 24, were also injured and taken to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.
Breece was treated and released, while Burch remained in critical condition.
In the aftermath of the shooting, the Fayetteville Police Department launched an investigation to identify and apprehend those responsible for the violence. On June 10, 2015, Demario Deshawn Eastmon, a 23-year-old male, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon. Eastmon, who resided on Worley Street, was held in the Cumberland County jail without bond. The investigation continued, and on June 16, 2015, another suspect, Matthew Brown, a 23-year-old member of the North Carolina National Guard, was also charged with murder in connection with Laguerre's death. Brown was apprehended by federal marshals and, like Eastmon, was held without bond.
The tragic death of Leandre Jamarcus Laguerre and the subsequent arrests of Eastmon and Brown highlight the devastating impact of gun violence on the community. The investigation into the incident revealed that an argument at the party had escalated into gunfire, resulting in the loss of Laguerre's life and injuries to Breece and Burch. The arrests of Eastmon and Brown brought some measure of justice to the grieving family and friends of Laguerre, but the pain and loss experienced by the community remain profound.
