Catrice Lacole Murchison, a 30-year-old African American woman, was shot and killed in the early hours of February 23, 2020, at a mobile home park on Tina Lane in Clarkton, North Carolina. Police were called around 1:30 a.m.; officers found Murchison and two other people, 27-year-old Ronnie Lebert Kelly and 60-year-old Guy Lennon Barden Jr., dead inside the residence. A fourth person, 69-year-old Hazel Epps, survived after being shot in the torso and reportedly played dead to avoid further harm.

A 36-year-old Clarkton man, Taurean Reshaul Johnson, was identified as the suspect. Warrants were issued for three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, and Johnson surrendered to the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office later the same day; he was taken into custody without bond and had an initial court appearance scheduled for March 16, 2020. Investigators say the motive is unclear and no weapon has been recovered. The Bladen County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information to come forward.

Did anyone in the area know Catrice or have information about what led to the shooting?