Emmanuel Wayne Houston Jr., an 18-year-old from Salisbury, North Carolina, was shot and killed at a residence on Tilman Street on February 20, 2025. Police found Houston suffering from a gunshot wound in the early hours; he was pronounced dead at the scene despite emergency responders’ efforts.

Houston was born September 11, 2006, to Emmanuel and Emma Miller Houston Sr., attended Rowan-Salisbury Schools, and is survived by his parents, siblings, and extended family. A funeral was held February 27, 2025, at Rowan Funeral Services Chapel, with burial in Memorial Park.

On April 17, 2025, investigators arrested 21-year-old Shykiem Daekwon Verdell; he was taken into custody by the Lexington Police Department and held in the Davidson County jail without bond on a charge of first-degree murder. Officials have not released further details about what led to the shooting.

Anyone with information about the homicide is asked to contact the Salisbury Police Department or the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.