On January 23, 2024, at about 6 p.m., 29-year-old Colton Valdez was fatally shot in the parking lot of the Walmart at 4500 Fayetteville Road in Garner, North Carolina. The confrontation began when Valdez intervened after his mother was verbally harassed while backing out of a parking space. During the altercation Valdez brandished a BB gun that resembled a real firearm. The other individual produced a handgun and shot Valdez; that person remained at the scene and cooperated with law enforcement.

After investigators consulted with the Wake County District Attorney’s Office, authorities concluded the shooter reasonably perceived an imminent threat and believed the BB gun was a real firearm, and therefore did not file charges. Valdez’s family expressed grief and frustration with that decision, raising questions about the investigation and the quality of surveillance footage. Funeral services were handled by City of Oaks Funeral Home and Cremation in Raleigh, and a family-run GoFundMe was set up to help cover funeral expenses.

What information might clarify whether the surveillance footage or other evidence could shed more light on the confrontation?