In a tragic turn of events that unfolded on June 22, 2026, 15-year-old Mariah Thompson of Whiteville, North Carolina, was fatally shot in Roanoke Rapids. Thompson, along with 20-year-old Patrick Shane Faircloth, also from the Whiteville area, were killed in the shooting which took place near the intersection of Vance and West Eleventh streets. A third individual, 19-year-old Isaiah Cooper, was also in the vehicle with Thompson and Faircloth at the time of the incident but was unharmed. It was reported that the group had traveled to Roanoke Rapids so that Thompson could visit with her boyfriend. An officer with the Roanoke Rapids Police Department was in the vicinity at the time of the shooting and observed a vehicle fleeing the scene. A traffic stop was initiated, and the driver, identified as Cooper, was briefly detained for questioning before being released.
The investigation into the double homicide led authorities to identify Eric Lamont Martin Jr. as the primary suspect. Martin was already a wanted man in connection with a separate murder that occurred in Columbus County earlier in June. In early July, the Roanoke Rapids Police Department announced that Martin had been charged with the murders of both Mariah Thompson and Patrick Faircloth. He is considered to be armed and dangerous, and authorities have urged the public not to approach him. As the search for Martin continues, the investigation has involved a multi-jurisdictional effort, with law enforcement agencies from both Halifax and Columbus counties collaborating on the case.
In a related development, Isaiah Cooper, the uninjured occupant of the vehicle, was arrested on July 1, 2026. Cooper faces two counts of accessory after the fact and one count of obstruction of justice in connection with the double homicide. He was being held on a $250,000 bond and was scheduled for a court appearance in Halifax County on July 8, 2026. The case has drawn significant attention as investigators work to piece together the events that led to the deaths of the two teenagers. With a suspect charged but still at large and another individual facing charges for allegedly hindering the investigation, the legal process is just beginning. The community is left mourning the loss of two young lives as they await further developments in the ongoing efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
