Marcus ONeill Hill, a 32-year-old African American man, was killed on May 29, 2021, in Forest City, North Carolina. The shooting happened late that night in the Dogwood Lane area during an exchange of gunfire. Responding officers found Hill with a gunshot wound just before 11 p.m.; he later died of his injuries.

Investigators identified 38-year-old Jeremy Lee Brown of Rutherfordton as the primary suspect. Brown was taken into custody without incident and charged with first-degree murder and two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon; he is being held at the Rutherford County Detention Center without bond. Multiple agencies assisted in the arrest, including the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation, Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, N.C. State Highway Patrol, and the Rutherfordton Police Department. The Forest City Police Department asks anyone with information to contact Sergeant Moore as the investigation continues.

If anyone has information about Marcus Hill, the shooting on Dogwood Lane, or observed suspicious activity that night, please come forward.