On January 29, 2023, at approximately 6:30 p.m., an off-duty Tarboro Police Department officer reported hearing rapid gunfire from a high-powered rifle in the area of Elm Street near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Tarboro, North Carolina. Responding officers observed a known vehicle fleeing the scene, which was later found abandoned near the intersection of Roberson and Clark Drives. The driver was subsequently identified by the police.
During the investigation, officers were informed that two gunshot victims had arrived at the emergency room of ECU Health Edgecombe Hospital. One of the victims, 19-year-old Ty'Kevian Deontae Johnson of Princeville, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. The second victim, also 19 and from Greenville, was treated for injuries and later released. The vehicle in which the victims arrived was secured by the police, leading to the discovery of a stolen handgun and an AR-style pistol.
Investigations revealed that the victims' vehicle was traveling along the 900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive when it was struck multiple times by gunfire from individuals standing in a nearby yard. The assailants fled the area immediately after the shooting. As of the latest available information, no arrests have been reported in connection with this case. The Tarboro Police Department continues to seek assistance from the public, urging anyone with information to contact Detective Sergeant Brandon Richardson at (252) 641-4272, Detective Corporal Kenny Womack at (252) 641-4201, or Twin County Crime Stoppers at (252) 977-1111.
