On December 6, 2024, at approximately 5:30 p.m., the Currituck County Sheriff's Office responded to a reported shooting at a residence on Wedgewood Drive in the Wedgewood Lakes subdivision of Moyock, North Carolina. Upon arrival, deputies discovered 39-year-old Skylar Benjamin Haislip suffering from a gunshot wound. Emergency Medical Services transported Haislip from the scene; however, he succumbed to his injuries en route to a trauma center.
The suspected shooter, identified as 32-year-old Michael Thomas Harris Jr. of Moyock, fled the scene on foot prior to the deputies' arrival. A coordinated search ensued, involving a canine unit and the utilization of phone tracking technology. These efforts led law enforcement to a location on Willow Drive, where the Currituck County Sheriff's Office SWAT team apprehended Harris at approximately 12:30 a.m. on December 7. Harris was subsequently charged with first-degree murder and is currently held without bond at the Currituck County Detention Center.
The relationship between Haislip and Harris remains under investigation, with authorities indicating that they were not related by family ties. This incident follows a prior arrest of Harris in October 2024 in Dare County, where he faced charges including felony fleeing to elude arrest with a motor vehicle and possession of a stolen motor vehicle, to which he pleaded guilty on October 31. The Currituck County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding Haislip's death, with the potential for additional charges as more information becomes available.
