Desha Franklin was a 25-year-old African American woman who was shot on August 8, 2021, along South Johnson Street near Maple Street in Monroe, North Carolina. She was flown to a Charlotte hospital but died of her injuries. The homicide added to a sharp rise in violence in Monroe during 2021; the city recorded six homicides in the first eight months compared with two the previous year.

Monroe Police identified Lamont Dontae Parham as the primary suspect and arrested him on August 23, 2021, at a relative’s home. He was charged with first-degree murder, possession of a firearm by a felon, and discharging a firearm inside city limits, and was being held without bond in the Union County Jail. Investigators continue to seek tips from the public.

If anyone has information about Desha Franklin, the circumstances of the shooting, or was in the South Johnson and Maple Street area on August 8, 2021, please share what is known.