On October 21, 2023, at approximately 9:27 p.m., Fayetteville police responded to a shooting incident in the 1500 block of Slater Avenue, near the Smith Recreation Center and Fayetteville State University. Upon arrival, officers discovered that four individuals had sustained gunshot wounds and had been transported to a local hospital. Among the victims was 31-year-old Emmanuel Lashon Smith, who succumbed to his injuries at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.
In the days following the incident, authorities arrested 21-year-old Fayetteville resident Rav'von Jimani Sparks in connection with the shooting. Sparks was charged with first-degree murder for the death of Emmanuel Smith, as well as felony conspiracy, three counts of attempted first-degree murder, and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury. At the time of the shooting, Sparks was on probation for prior offenses committed in Ohio, with his probation supervision transferred to Cumberland County.
The investigation revealed that a crowd had gathered in the parking lot of the recreation center when the shooting occurred. Fayetteville's gunshot detection technology, ShotSpotter, recorded 21 gunshots during the incident, and authorities collected 17 nine-millimeter shell casings at the scene. Detectives executed a search warrant at Sparks' residence, recovering two handguns. Sparks was apprehended on October 23, 2023, in the 1300 block of Devonshire Drive and is currently held at the Cumberland County Detention Center without bond.
The three other individuals injured in the shooting were hospitalized, with two treated and released, while a female victim remained hospitalized as of the latest reports. Authorities have indicated that the investigation is ongoing and have urged anyone with additional information to contact Detective T. Kiger at (910) 705-6527 or submit anonymous tips through Fayetteville/Cumberland County Crime Stoppers.
