Lamar McCoy, a 20-year-old African American man, was shot and killed on June 9, 2022, in Gastonia, North Carolina. He was sitting in his vehicle at a gas station on North Chester Street at about 5 p.m. when several shots struck him. McCoy was pronounced dead at the scene; the vehicle had multiple bullet holes and a handgun reported stolen in South Carolina was found inside the car near his body.

Police arrested a 17-year-old male on June 10, 2022, and charged him with first-degree murder. Investigators say the shooting was not random and that the suspect and McCoy knew each other, though the exact nature of their relationship has not been determined. The District Attorney’s Office is considering whether to try the suspect as an adult and detectives continue to gather evidence about who had possession of the stolen handgun and the events that led to the shooting.

If anyone knew Lamar or was at the gas station that evening, what did you see or hear?