Greenville, N.C. — The heart of this eastern North Carolina city is heavy with sorrow after Susan Harrison, a beloved Greenville mother, was found dead Tuesday morning in the parking lot of the Planet Fitness on Thomas Langston Road — the same place her son, Jayden Harrison, was fatally shot more than two years ago. Authorities say her death appears to be a suicide, closing a long, painful chapter for a woman whose life had been defined by both deep love and relentless grief.
Just after midnight on July 4, 2023, Jayden, then 21, was waiting in the Planet Fitness parking lot after a workout when shots rang out. He was found just after 1 a.m. with fatal gunshot wounds. Police pieced together video evidence and later DNA links to arrest 18-year-old Joshua Rosenburg, now charged with first-degree murder and other counts. The case was eventually moved to Superior Court as prosecutors sought a stiffer path to justice.
In the months and years that followed, Susan became the public face of her son’s memory. She plastered yard signs and billboards around Greenville, kept a website alive, organized fundraisers to boost the reward for information, and never stopped talking about Jayden on social media and in public forums. Friends say she hoped her constant pleas would keep pressure on the investigation and honor the son she described as joyful, kind, and full of life.
Those who knew Susan describe a woman who carried her pain openly and powerfully. She worked as a registered nurse and case manager, balancing others’ struggles with her own heartbreak. Yet every holiday, every milestone, became a reminder of what was missing. Even after law enforcement announced an arrest, the relief she felt was mixed with a deep, unending sadness.
Jayden’s friends and family remember him for his bright spirit. A graduate of J.H. Rose High School and former East Carolina University student, he loved Legos and Star Wars, gaming, trivia, and had a heart that seemed too big for this world. It was that light many in Greenville rallied around as they joined Susan in her search for answers.
On the grassy patch near the gym where both mother and son’s stories now forever intersect, fresh flowers and mementos mark the spot. People from all corners of the community have come by to pay tribute, leaving handwritten notes of love and sorrow. Many speak quietly of Susan’s generosity — how she lifted people up even while she was drowning in her own grief.
For family members, friends, and neighbors, the loss of Susan has reopened old wounds and forced a new reckoning with how deeply grief can shape a life. Her passing has sparked conversations about trauma, mental health, and the invisible weight carried by those left behind after violent loss.
In remembering Susan and Jayden, Greenville is reminded that behind every headline — every tragedy — are people whose love was never measured by the ending of their story. The community mourns two lives forever linked, and prays that both peace and justice might find a home here, even amid profound sorrow.
