On March 16, 2024, 19-year-old Sherrod Ahmad Person of Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, was found deceased at the Gaston Boat Landing on the Roanoke River. Authorities responded to reports of a partially submerged vehicle and discovered Person's body nearby; he had sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
In the days following the discovery, Gaston Police, in collaboration with the Northampton County Sheriff's Office and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, arrested two suspects: 22-year-olds Curtis Ra’heem Sessoms of Tarboro and Marquel Tyreik Hudson of Leggett. Both were charged with murder and held without bond. Investigators explored the possibility that Person had been lured to the location under false pretenses, as he had reportedly expressed concerns about a meeting the night before his death.
Further developments occurred in July 2024, when a 17-year-old girl, known by the nickname "Sweets," was taken into custody and served juvenile petitions in connection with Person's death. Gaston Police Chief C.W. Bowser indicated that the girl had a prior relationship with Person but was involved with Sessoms at the time of the incident. She was placed in a juvenile detention center without the opportunity for bond.
The investigation revealed that after the shooting, Person's body was placed in the river, and attempts were made to conceal the vehicle in a nearby wooded area. The arrests of Sessoms, Hudson, and the 17-year-old girl were the result of a collaborative effort among multiple law enforcement agencies. As of the latest reports, the suspects were awaiting court appearances, and the investigation remained ongoing.
