On the evening of July 22, 2023, at approximately 8:00 p.m., deputies from the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office responded to reports of a verbal disturbance in the 4200 block of Dudley Road in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Upon arrival, they discovered 34-year-old Bryant Thomas King suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Following an investigation, authorities identified 20-year-old Hamzah Abdullah Thompson of Fayetteville as the primary suspect.
Warrants for first-degree murder were issued, and Thompson was apprehended shortly after midnight on July 24, 2023, in Rockingham, North Carolina. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with first-degree murder in connection with King's death.
Bryant King was a resident of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and is survived by his children: Bryant King Jr., Airreon Jones, Anthony Jones, and Aubreyona King; his father, Leroy T. King Jr.; and siblings, Francesca Whitted, Brittany King, and Jossie King. Funeral services were held on August 12, 2023, at Greater First Baptist Church of Cedar Creek, followed by burial at Eureka Chapel Cemetery.
The tragic death of Bryant King has deeply affected the Fayetteville community, prompting discussions about local safety and the prevalence of gun violence. The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and encourages anyone with additional information to come forward.
