Lemonz Feikhem Williams, a 21-year-old Black male, died on April 22, 2026, after a shooting near Zebulon, North Carolina, that began as a night of celebration and ended as a homicide investigation. The shooting happened near the intersection of Mack Todd Road and West Barbee Street, outside Zebulon's town limits, after a large outdoor gathering known as the Oil Spill Party drew hundreds of people, many of them described as college students.
The event was promoted through unofficial social media accounts connected to North Carolina Central University students, but the university later said it was not sponsored, sanctioned, organized, or carried out by NCCU.
The party reportedly started in the afternoon and continued into the night at or near Todd Park. People who attended said there appeared to be a significant security presence during the event itself, and some initially felt safe. But that changed as the party wound down around 10 p.m. and people began walking back to their vehicles in nearby fields. Witnesses and neighbors described a chaotic scene as shots suddenly rang out in the parking areas. One neighbor recalled hearing a vehicle speed down the road followed by repeated gunfire, while others described people running as the crowd tried to escape.
Wake County sheriff's deputies responded around 10:40 p.m. to reports of multiple people shot. When they arrived, they found two male victims suffering from gunshot wounds, and both were taken to a hospital with serious injuries. First responders also found Williams with gunshot wounds and attempted life-saving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. A short time later, two more victims, an adult male and a juvenile male, walked into a local hospital with gunshot wounds believed to be connected to the same shooting. Their injuries were reported to be non-life-threatening. In total, five people were shot: Williams was killed, and four others were injured.
The morning after the shooting, aerial footage showed the scale of the crime scene, with crime tape stretched across the area and evidence markers scattered through the field. Investigators later towed away at least two vehicles, including a car and a pickup truck. Neighbors said garbage and empty liquor bottles were left across the parking areas, underscoring how large and uncontrolled the gathering had become. One property owner told a local outlet that more than three dozen security personnel had been present and that this was the first Oil Spill Party held at the park, but questions remained about whether security extended into the parking fields where the shooting happened.
Authorities did not immediately identify a suspect by name, and as of the available reporting, no arrests had been announced in Williams' killing. The Wake County Sheriff's Office said investigators were still searching for the person responsible and asked anyone with information to come forward. Sheriff Willie Rowe said the agency extended condolences to Williams' family and everyone affected, adding that investigators would work to hold those responsible accountable.
The shooting also raised broader questions about large, unofficial off-campus parties and the safety risks that come with them. WRAL reported that the event had been advertised to NCCU students as an end-of-semester party, though Williams was not an NCCU student. University officials distanced the school from the event, saying it had no role in organizing it. Local leaders and residents expressed grief and frustration, with Zebulon's mayor noting that although the shooting happened outside town limits, it still deeply affected the surrounding community. For Williams' family and loved ones, what began as a crowded night in a field near Zebulon ended with a young man dead, four others wounded, and investigators still searching for answers.
