On August 11, 2023, at approximately 2:40 a.m., deputies from the Robeson County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of a shooting near Deep Branch Road and Recreation Center Road, close to Purnell Swett High School between Maxton and Pembroke, North Carolina. Upon arrival, they discovered two individuals with gunshot wounds inside a vehicle: 38-year-old Brooke Danielle Dial of Pembroke, who was pronounced dead at the scene, and 32-year-old Cedric Locklear of Rowland, who was transported to a
medical facility and was expected to survive.
Following the incident, investigators identified 31-year-old Brandon Keith Locklear of Lumberton as the primary suspect. He was wanted on charges including first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle while in operation, discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle resulting in serious injury, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On August 12, 2023, Locklear was apprehended during a traffic stop near U.S. Highway 74 and Hilly Branch Road in Lumberton. He was taken into custody without incident and held at the Robeson County Detention Center without bond. The Robeson County Sheriff's Office Homicide Division led the investigation, urging anyone with additional information to come forward.
Ms. Dial's death was a tragic loss for her family and the community. Born on December 18, 1984, in Robeson County, she was the daughter of Lacy Duet Dial and Denise Lloyd Dial. She is survived by her son, Gabriel Smith, her mother, and several siblings. A funeral service was held on August 22, 2023, at Deep Branch Baptist Church in Lumberton, North Carolina.
The arrest of Brandon Locklear brought some measure of closure to the case, but the community continues to mourn the loss of Ms. Dial. The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities seeking any further information related to the incident.
