A domestic dispute in the early hours of January 2, 2026, on Dixie Drive in Leland, North Carolina, ended with 35-year-old Dylan Charles Hennessey dead. Officers arriving about 3:30 a.m. found three people with gunshot wounds; Hennessey was pronounced dead at the scene and two others were taken to Novant NHRMC. Authorities say the people involved knew one another and that there was no broader threat to the public. One of the two wounded was identified by police as the shooter.

An investigation was led by the Leland Police Department with the Brunswick County District Attorney’s Office and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. On January 14, 2026, 33-year-old Dustin Luke Powers of Wilmington was arrested with assistance from the Wilmington Police Department and booked into the Brunswick County Detention Center without bond on charges that include first-degree kidnapping and breaking and entering with intent to terrorize; a first court appearance was scheduled for January 15. If anyone witnessed the incident on Dixie Drive or knew Dylan, please share what you know.