Darryl Jay Barnes III, 34, a Black man with local ties to Wilson, North Carolina, was found dead the evening of August 18, 2025, after officers answered reports of gunfire on Chase Road at about 6:25 p.m. Authorities identified him that night and funeral notices and obituary listings later confirmed his age and that services were scheduled for late August.

Police announced an arrest the next day, August 19: 25-year-old Anthony Diante Atkinson was charged with one count of murder and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon, and was booked into the Wilson County Jail and held without bond. Police described the shooting as an isolated incident; public memorial pages noted Barnes was lost to gun violence on August 18.

Official accounts outline the rapid move from shooting to arrest, but investigators had not publicly provided a motive by the time of these reports. If anyone knew Darryl Barnes or has information about the Chase Road shooting, please come forward with what you know.