Rashard Jaron Brooks, a 37-year-old man from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was fatally shot during the early morning hours of December 28, 2024. Police were called to an apartment in the 1000 block of East 15th Street after reports of gunfire around 12:30 a.m. and found Brooks dead inside. A second victim suffered life-threatening gunshot wounds outside and was rushed to a hospital.

Investigators say Brooks and the second victim fought inside the apartment before a third person, described as a suspect known to both victims, intervened and opened fire. The suspect’s name has not been released and the investigation remains ongoing. Brooks was born June 15, 1987, and is survived by his mother Melvina Brooks, father Joe Lyons, and 11 children; a memorial was scheduled for January 18, 2025, at St. John Baptist Church in Winston-Salem.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Winston-Salem Police Department or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers. Did anyone in the community know Brooks or the people involved and can help investigators?