Alvis Jamelle Allen, a 39-year-old African American man from Norlina, North Carolina, was found dead the morning of January 28, 2025, near the parking lot of the basketball court at Magnolia Ernest Recreation Park in Soul City. Authorities reported he had suffered an apparent gunshot wound. The Warren County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation opened an inquiry into the fatal shooting.

Investigators later identified Najee Altorik Williams as the primary suspect. Williams was arrested on February 26, 2025, charged with first-degree murder, taken into custody without incident and held at the Warren County Detention Center without bond; his first court appearance was scheduled for March 11, 2025. The investigation into the circumstances of the shooting remains ongoing.

Allen’s funeral service was held on February 15, 2025, at Ridgeway Missionary Baptist Church in Norlina, and he was interred at the Baskett, Allen, and Hall Family Cemetery. His two daughters, parents, siblings and extended family continue to mourn and seek justice.

If anyone has information about Allen, his movements on January 28, 2025, or the events at Magnolia Ernest Recreation Park, please come forward.