George Lee Dickens Jr., a 36-year-old African American male, tragically lost his life on February 28, 2015, in Tarboro, North Carolina. The incident occurred at Master's Touch Barber Shop on West St. James Street, where Ian Sherrod, a 40-year-old male, walked into the establishment and fatally shot Dickens. Witnesses reported seeing people running from the building, and a young man was seen exiting the store with a gun in his hand.
The shooting of George Lee Dickens Jr.
was part of a series of related incidents that day. Approximately 30 minutes after the first shooting, officers received reports of another shooting on the northern end of town. Ventura Sanchez, a 36-year-old male, was found shot inside a vehicle at Lot 48-B Mobile Home Estates, while Ana Marlen Cruz-Franco, a 28-year-old female, was discovered dead inside a nearby residence. Sanchez was transported to Vidant Edgecombe Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the following day.
Ian Sherrod, the suspect in all three shootings, lived next door to Sanchez and Cruz-Franco. While investigating the incidents, authorities received information that Sherrod was operating a silver Ford truck in the area of Main Street and Northern Boulevard in Tarboro. Law enforcement personnel located the vehicle in the rear parking lot of a business at 2311 Main Street. Despite repeated requests for Sherrod to put down his weapon and surrender, he exited the vehicle and pointed a firearm at officers, leading to his fatal shooting by law enforcement. A Tarboro police officer and an Edgecombe County deputy were placed on paid administrative leave following the incident, and the State Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation, as is standard procedure in officer-involved shootings.
The community of Tarboro was left in shock by the tragic events, as such violence was considered highly unusual for the area. Friends and family remembered George Lee Dickens Jr. as a caring individual who was deeply involved in his community. The motive behind Sherrod's actions remains unclear, but it was later revealed that he had been suffering from severe mental illness, specifically paranoid schizophrenia. His delusional behavior had reportedly manifested in the weeks leading up to the shootings.
