Brandon Strickland, a 38-year-old White man from Rowland, North Carolina, was killed on the afternoon of June 10, 2024. At approximately 4:42 p.m., deputies with the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a shooting near the intersection of Highway 83 and Highway 130, just outside of Maxton. First responders found Mr. Strickland at the scene suffering from a gunshot wound. He was rushed to UNC Southeastern Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
The investigation quickly led to a suspect, 20-year-old Adrian Locklear of Maxton. On June 12, 2024, Locklear surrendered to investigators at the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office. He was arrested and initially charged with first-degree murder in connection with Mr. Strickland's death. Locklear was booked into the Robeson County Detention Center and held without bond.
In the wake of the shooting, some community members suggested that Locklear may have acted in self-defense.
The case proceeded through the court system and concluded with a plea agreement. Locklear pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of voluntary manslaughter. According to court records, he was sentenced to serve between three and four and a half years in prison. Officials noted that Locklear did not have a prior criminal record. The Robeson County District Attorney's Office later stated that they had argued for a longer sentence within the presumptive range for the charge.
Brandon Strickland's family expressed deep disappointment with the outcome. His relative, Heather Strickland, described the family as heartbroken, stating that the sentence was not justice for what she called the brutal murder of a "good man." She said the family was not informed about the plea hearing and would have attended in large numbers to speak against a lower sentence. "A sentence, like this one, does not reflect the gravity of what was taken from our family," she said. "No justice, no closure." The case was legally concluded following the plea and sentencing in March 2026.
