On January 9, 2023, at approximately 8:45 p.m., Columbus County Sheriff's deputies responded to multiple reports of shots fired and an overturned vehicle on M M Ray Road in Clarendon, North Carolina. Upon arrival, they discovered a black Jeep Wrangler overturned on the shoulder of the road. Inside the vehicle, 31-year-old Julian Juan Fipps was found deceased, having sustained fatal gunshot wounds. Multiple shell casings were collected at the scene, indicating a shooting had occurred.
Fipps, born on June 19, 1991, in Columbus County, was a resident of Nakina and employed in industrial construction with Fippco, Inc. He is survived by his parents, a son, a sister, grandparents, nephews, a niece, and a special friend. His funeral was held on January 16, 2023, at Sweet Home Baptist Church, followed by burial in the Coleman-Ward Cemetery in Nakina.
The investigation into Fipps' death led to the arrest of 21-year-old Xavier Antonio Rayquan Thomas from Tabor City. On January 16, 2023, Thomas was apprehended in Horry County, South Carolina, by the Columbus County Sheriff's Office, with assistance from the Horry County Police Department. He was initially held at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center on a fugitive warrant, awaiting extradition to North Carolina. Subsequently, Thomas was charged with murder in connection to Fipps' death and transferred to the Columbus County Detention Center, where he was held without bond.
The Columbus County Sheriff's Office expressed gratitude for the assistance provided by the Horry County Police Department, Brunswick County Sheriff's Office, and the Whiteville Police Department during the investigation. They have requested that anyone with additional information related to the case contact their Criminal Investigation Division at 910-640-6629.
