On the evening of January 24, 2024, at approximately 10:07 p.m., the Johnston County Sheriff's Office responded to a reported shooting at a residence on McGee Road in Benson, North Carolina. Upon arrival, deputies were met by a 22-year-old woman who stated she had heard her mother, 52-year-old Maria Teresa Meraz-Cruz, engaged in a heated argument with her boyfriend, 38-year-old Miguel Angel Ventura. The daughter reported hearing two gunshots before exiting the home to call 911.
Inside the residence, deputies discovered Ventura deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, indicating a murder-suicide scenario. Meraz-Cruz was found alive but critically injured from a gunshot wound. She was immediately transported to WakeMed in Raleigh, where she later succumbed to her injuries.
Maria Teresa Meraz-Cruz was a mother of five children. Her untimely death has left her family and the local community in profound grief. Funeral services were held on February 5, 2024, at Sunset Memorial Park in Smithfield, North Carolina, following a visitation on February 4 at Iglesia Emanuel Rey in Selma.
In the wake of this tragedy, a GoFundMe campaign was organized by her daughter, Kayla Martinez Meraz, to assist with funeral expenses and support for the family. The campaign highlighted the family's devastation and the sudden loss of their beloved mother.
This incident has underscored the critical importance of addressing domestic violence within communities. Local authorities and support organizations continue to advocate for increased awareness and resources to prevent such tragedies in the future.
