Tommy Lee Watkins Jr., 22, a Black male, was shot and killed on June 3, 2025, in Wadesboro, North Carolina. He died behind the wheel of his car outside the North Wadesboro Grocery on 109 North, where security footage later showed two men approach, briefly speak with him, get into his vehicle, and moments later flee after gunfire. Watkins Jr., known as “TJ,” was from Troy and had roots in nearby Mt. Gilead; he was employed by the Town of Troy's Public Works Department.
His death prompted an immediate law-enforcement response and a wave of public grief across Anson and Montgomery counties.
Within days, investigators announced arrests. Authorities identified two suspects: a 25-year-old named Justin Wright and a 16-year-old juvenile. Wright was taken into custody by the Anson County Sheriff's Office and charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and murder in connection with the killing of Tommy Lee Watkins Jr., 22. The juvenile suspect was also arrested soon after; officials said their charging decision—whether to proceed in juvenile court or seek adult charges—remained under consideration at the time. Local reporting described the rapid multi-agency effort that followed the shooting, crediting the Wadesboro Police Department and the Anson County Sheriff's Office for swift action.
In the days that followed, friends and relatives prepared to lay Tommy Lee Watkins Jr., 22, to rest. Funeral arrangements were handled by Harris Funeral Home & Cremations in Mt. Gilead, with services scheduled at Oliver Grove Missionary Baptist Church. Memorial pages and regional gun-violence records marked the date and place of death as June 3, 2025, in Wadesboro, underscoring the loss felt by both the Troy and Wadesboro communities.
