Joseph Braxton III, a 16-year-old African American male, was tragically shot and killed on September 27, 2014, in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Braxton was on his way to a sweet sixteen birthday party when he was gunned down on Randleman Street. The call of shots fired came in around 10:30 p.m., and when investigators arrived, they found Braxton already dead. Witnesses reported that Braxton was still alive and trying to move after being shot, but by the time help arrived, it was too late.
A memorial of candles, teddy bears, and messages was set up on the spot where he died.
The investigation into Braxton's death revealed that there had been a "beef" between two groups of teens, which had led to fights in the weeks prior to the shooting. Braxton's family believed that the shooting was done by older classmates in retaliation for these altercations. On October 17, 2014, two Raeford teens, Rashaun Tyree Graham, 17, and D'ontrae Taivon Lloyd, 18, were arrested and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Deonta Zaquan Graham, 17, also surrendered and faced the same charges. Earlier that week, two other Fayetteville teens, Devonta Jaquan Douglas, 19, and Jacquie Markete Reuben, 18, were also charged in connection with the case. Douglas was arrested at Ramsey Street High School and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, while Reuben was charged with conspiracy after the fact to first-degree murder.
The case was difficult for the police to investigate due to the reluctance of witnesses to come forward. However, detectives obtained enough information to levy murder charges. The case was scheduled to go to trial in December, but the defendants pleaded guilty. Rashaun Graham and Deonta Graham, both 20 at the time of their sentencing, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and were sentenced to between 17 years, six months and 22 years in prison. Dontrae Lloyd, 21, pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact to second-degree murder and was sentenced to between six years, one month and eight years, four months. Charges against the fifth defendant were dropped.
Braxton's death and the subsequent arrests and convictions highlight the tragic consequences of youth violence and the challenges faced by law enforcement in obtaining witness cooperation. The case also underscores the importance of community involvement in addressing and preventing such incidents.
