Brandon Deon Patterson, Sr. was a 31-year-old Black man from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Born and raised in the city, he was a graduate of the local public schools and worked in the food service industry at Zesto Restaurant. He was the father of two sons, Brandon Jr. and Deon, and was remembered by his family as a cherished son, grandson, brother, and cousin.
On the afternoon of October 18, 2023, a shooting was reported in Winston-Salem.
Around 4:00 p.m., police officers responded to the 800 block of Cameron Avenue, where they found Brandon Patterson suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Emergency medical personnel rushed him to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist hospital for treatment, but he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. His death was the 41st homicide in the city that year.
Following an investigation into the shooting, Winston-Salem police identified and arrested a suspect. William Darius Aikens Jr., 39, was taken into custody and charged with murder and possession of a firearm by a felon. He was booked into the Forsyth County jail and held without bond.
The case against Aikens proceeded through the court system. In October 2025, William Darius Aikens Jr. was convicted of Brandon Patterson's murder. Superior Court Judge Aaron Berlin sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
