Avantae Pender, 21, a Black male from Wilson, North Carolina, was shot and killed on September 15, 2025. The shooting occurred around 2 p.m. on the 900 block of Washington Street, where multiple people were struck; Natasha Latrice Sutton, 44, was also pronounced dead at the scene. Another adult was taken to hospital with injuries and a fourth victim was treated by EMS.

Investigators arrested 39-year-old Donta Maurice Chestnut the same day; charging information reported by local outlets alleges two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Sutton and Pender and at least one count of attempted first-degree murder related to the surviving victim. Police later arrested Tiffany Monique Chestnut, accused of trying to help the suspect evade capture and of handling and returning a piece of the handgun used in the shooting; she was charged with accessory after the fact and with altering, stealing, or destroying criminal evidence and held on bond pending court.

The killings shocked the Wilson community and prompted tributes for both victims as detectives pursued the case. If anyone has information about what happened on Washington Street that afternoon, please come forward.