Aaron Copeland was 22 when he was found shot near the roadway on Shawcross Lane in Fayetteville, NC, on September 29, 2020. He was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead. The Fayetteville Police Department determined the shooting was not random and opened a homicide investigation.

Two people were arrested and charged in connection with Copeland’s death: 23-year-old Sanquon McDougald and 16-year-old Kweli McNeill. Court documents say an altercation between Copeland, his girlfriend, McDougald and McNeill escalated; both McDougald and McNeill allegedly fired multiple shots, and Copeland was shot multiple times in the back. Witnesses reportedly said the dispute involved accusations that Copeland had snitched to police in an unrelated case.

McDougald’s lawyer told the court witnesses had been using alcohol and drugs and that their accounts changed over time. McDougald was held on $1 million bail; the state declined to seek the death penalty against him because of McNeill’s age. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Fayetteville Police Department or Crime Stoppers?