Kedar H. Darden, 24, a Black man from Rocky Mount, was killed in the early hours of Sunday, September 21, 2025, when gunfire ripped through a home along the 2100 block of Benvenue Road. Officers were called around 6 a.m. and found multiple victims; Kedar H. Darden, 24, was identified as the person who died. Four others—two women and two men—were wounded and taken to area hospitals.
By the following day, police said three had been released while one man remained hospitalized in fair condition.
Neighbors awoke to a heavy police presence and flashing lights spilling across the quiet street. What had been a typical weekend morning gave way to a sprawling crime scene as investigators worked outside a single-story home. Witnesses later described a house gathering that turned volatile: an argument between two men on a back deck escalated into a burst of 30 to 40 shots as nearly 20 people scrambled for cover. In the chaos, Kedar H. Darden, 24, was fatally struck, and the others were injured before ambulances ferried them away.
In the days that followed, the community marked the loss. An obituary posted by the funeral home and carried on Legacy confirmed the identity and age of Kedar H. Darden, 24, and set visitation and funeral plans for early October. Memorial pages and tributes online recorded his name and age and noted that he was lost to gun violence in his hometown.
As of the latest reports, police had not announced an arrest. Investigators said the case remained active, asking anyone with information to contact the Rocky Mount Police Department, while local coverage said officers were still searching for suspects tied to the exchange of gunfire at the residence. Kedar H. Darden, 24, male, was publicly listed in victim records as Black/African American, and authorities continued to piece together who fired and why as the community waited for answers.
