On July 21, 2023, 18-year-old Michael Dyveon Smith-Thomas of Hope Mills, North Carolina, was fatally shot in the 100 block of Chris Road in Lumber Bridge. Authorities responded to reports of a shooting around 12:45 a.m. and discovered Smith-Thomas deceased at the scene.
The Robeson County Sheriff's Office swiftly initiated a homicide investigation, leading to the identification of multiple suspects. On July 23, after an hours-long standoff at a residence on Rennert Road in Shannon, law enforcement arrested 21-year-old Trysten Jacoby Tyler of Lumberton and 36-year-old Kayla Antionette Chavis of Shannon. Both were charged with first-degree murder and felony conspiracy in connection with Smith-Thomas's death. During the standoff, two juveniles were safely evacuated from the home before Tyler and Chavis surrendered following the deployment of a gas agent.
A third suspect, 32-year-old James Roscoe McAllister of Lumber Bridge, was apprehended on October 5 by the U.S. Marshals Service Carolinas Regional Task Force in Hoke County. McAllister faced charges of first-degree murder and felony conspiracy related to the homicide of Smith-Thomas. Notably, at the time of his arrest, McAllister was out on bond for a 2008 murder charge involving the shooting death of David Bullard during a home invasion in Shannon.
The arrests were the result of collaborative efforts among multiple agencies, including the Robeson County Sheriff's Office Homicide Division, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service Carolinas Fugitive Task Force, the Hoke County Sheriff's Office, and the Lumberton Police Department. The investigation into Smith-Thomas's death remains active, with authorities indicating that additional charges and arrests are possible as they continue to gather information related to the case.
