Megan Michelle Tate, 33, of Gastonia, North Carolina, was shot and killed at an apartment on Spring Valley Drive on December 2, 2022. The shooting happened around 10 p.m., and police found Megan dead at the scene.

A 22-year-old, Shiquan Eleek Ratchford, was arrested shortly after the shooting and charged with Megan’s homicide and with possession of a firearm by a felon. Megan’s sister, Jessica Tate, described her as a peacemaker who tried to defuse situations; family say Megan was intervening in an argument that night when Ratchford, who had been drinking and became agitated, shot her. A 4-year-old was present but found unharmed in a nearby apartment.

Megan’s death was reported as the ninth homicide in Gastonia in 2022 and clearly affected her family and friends. If anyone has information about what happened that night or knew Megan, please come forward with tips.