Zachary Phillips, a 14-year-old boy from Fayetteville, NC, tragically lost his life on August 5, 2014. He was a student at Anderson Creek Middle School and was set to begin his freshman year at Hoke High in Raeford. Zachary was born in Norwich, CT, and was described as a loving son who would be greatly missed.
The circumstances surrounding Zachary's death were part of a harrowing incident that also claimed the life of his mother, Diana Maria Hathaway, aged 31.
The incident occurred in the Eureka Springs community, where 22-year-old Gerald Patrick Marr of Spring Lake shot and killed both Zachary and his mother in what authorities identified as a murder-suicide. Marr also shot Zachary's 15-year-old sister, Kelsey Phillips, who survived the attack after undergoing surgery for a gunshot wound to her shoulder.
The events unfolded on the evening of August 5, 2014, when Diana Hathaway, her children, and 17-year-old Billy Paul Setzer Jr. were in the driveway of a home. Marr approached the vehicle and began shooting, starting with Zachary. The motive behind Marr's actions remains unclear, but it was reported that he had some form of connection to the family through their church. Marr, who had been acting as a mentor to Zachary, had become increasingly possessive and controlling, leading to tensions within the family.
After the shooting, Marr turned the gun on himself, ending his own life. The investigation into the incident revealed that Marr had been using a false identity and had manipulated his way into the family's trust. The tragic event left the community in shock and mourning, with many questions still unanswered about the true nature of Marr's relationship with the family and his motives for the attack.
