Michael Davis Jr., a 42-year-old African American man, was shot and killed on July 3, 2022, in the 200 block of South Adkin Street in Kinston, North Carolina. He was found with multiple gunshot wounds and taken to ECU Health in Greenville, where he later died. The Kinston Police Department opened an investigation; the shooting was one of two fatal shootings in Kinston that day.

Police arrested 49-year-old Joe Earl Wilson of Kinston and charged him with first-degree murder in connection with Davis’s death. Wilson was held in the Lenoir County Jail without bond. Authorities said the arrest followed evidence that linked Wilson to the shooting and asked anyone with information to come forward.

The killing underscored ongoing concerns about gun violence in Kinston and the need for community cooperation with investigators. If anyone has information about Michael Davis Jr. or the events on July 3, 2022, please contact the Kinston Police Department.