Harley Alexander Shirley, 21, of Clayton, North Carolina, was shot and killed after a memorial gathering on the evening of February 17, 2022. He had attended a balloon release in Garner for a friend who died in a car crash; witnesses said someone opened fire during the gathering on Josephine Road and several men then jumped into a car and fled. Minutes later deputies responded to reports of gunshot victims at a Sheetz on Cornwallis Road, about three miles away. Harley was found there and pronounced dead.

A second victim, 20-year-old Sophie Hagy, survived but was left paralyzed. The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office linked the two scenes and made several arrests: a 17-year-old from Willow Springs and a 16-year-old from Garner were charged with murder and attempted murder; their names were not released because they are minors. Two women were also arrested—Cassidy Lorene Hunter, 21, charged with accessory after the fact, and Diana Sarah Jackson, 38, charged with obstructing justice. Authorities were seeking 19-year-old Ferrell Nicolas Jackson for obstructing justice and asked anyone with information to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 919-989-5010.

Harley was the son of Ronnie and Amy Shirley; the family held a memorial at McLaurin Funeral Home in Clayton and pursued a scholarship in his name. Does anyone have information about the Garner memorial that could help investigators or the families?