On October 19, 2023, at about 1:30 p.m., officers from the Kinston Police Department responded to a shooting in the 400 block of Clay Street and found two people with multiple gunshot wounds: 19-year-old Tabias Williams and 20-year-old Tamir Cobb. Both were airlifted to ECU Health Medical Center in critical condition after an altercation; the suspect fled the scene.

Authorities arrested 23-year-old Devonte Cantey later that same day and charged him with two counts of attempted murder, discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle, and possession of a firearm by a felon. Williams died of his injuries on October 21, 2023; charges against Cantey were later upgraded to first-degree murder. Cobb remained hospitalized in serious condition and was expected to survive.

A funeral for Williams was held November 2, 2023, at the Robert Swinson Jr. Memorial Chapel with burial at Southview Cemetery; family and friends remembered his vibrant personality. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Kinston Police Department.