ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. — A celebration turned into a nightmare shortly after 3 a.m. Saturday when gunfire broke out at a large outdoor gathering on Dixon Drive, just outside Maxton. By dawn, two people lay dead, and more than a dozen others were wounded in what Sheriff Burnis Wilkins described as an isolated but devastating act of violence.
When deputies arrived, the scene was raw. More than 150 people had already scattered into the night before law enforcement could secure the area. Among the deceased were Jessie Locklear and his son, Nehemiah Locklear — names confirmed by the sheriff’s office following the tragedy. Several of the wounded were in critical condition and rushed to nearby hospitals for emergency care.
Though information remains limited, authorities say the shooting appears to have been an isolated incident — no threat to the broader community is believed to remain. Still, detectives are working furiously to piece together what led to the carnage: who pulled the trigger, why, and how so many became victims.
As investigators sift through evidence, they’re calling on those present that night — partygoers and onlookers alike — to come forward. With a crowd that large, there may be witnesses who could break the case open. The sheriff’s office is urging anyone who saw or heard anything out of place to contact investigators at 910-671-3100.
This weekend’s attack adds to a growing concern over gun violence in rural communities, where events meant for fun can spiral into tragedy in a flash. In this stretch of eastern North Carolina, people are asking hard questions about how gatherings are policed, how information is shared, and whether more could have been done to prevent a massacre in the dark.
For Jessie and Nehemiah’s family, the heartbreak is unimaginable. For the injured still clinging to life in hospitals, recovery is just beginning. And for a shaken community, the search for answers has only just begun — in the silence left behind by the gunshots on Dixon Drive.
