Vernon Eugene Dale, 46, of Morganton, North Carolina, was shot in the head and killed on December 21, 2017, at a residence in the Shady Acres Mobile Home Park on U.S. Highway 64. He had been arrested the previous day for assault by pointing a gun and communicating threats, released from jail, then returned to the home where a fight with his girlfriend and her mother occurred. Neighbors reported hearing a single shot around 1 a.m.

The mother of Vernon’s girlfriend fired once, striking him in the head; she told authorities she feared for her life. Two 9mm handguns were seized from the home. After reviewing the evidence, the district attorney ruled the shooting justifiable self-defense and declined to file charges. Vernon was the son of the late Glenn Robert Dale and Carrie Mae Cox Dale and was survived by his children Trevor, Abigail and Isaac and his brother Jerome.