Preston Jones, 29, was fatally shot just before 10 p.m. on September 9, 2023, while walking on the sidewalk of South Commerce Street in Aulander, North Carolina. Aulander Police Chief Eddie Hoggard reported the gunfire came from a passing vehicle; when officers arrived Jones was found deceased. Two occupied residences nearby were struck by gunfire but no residents were injured.

The Aulander Police Department, with assistance from the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office and the North Carolina SBI, opened an immediate homicide investigation and described the shooting as an isolated incident. No arrests or suspect descriptions have been released, and police asked anyone who was in the area and may have seen or heard anything to contact the Aulander Police Department at 252-345-0158 or the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office at 252-794-5330.

Preston Jones was born October 19, 1993, to Micheal Jones and Hope Burden Jones; his death has been mourned by family and the community. If anyone has information about that night, please contact the agencies listed above.