Gabriel Ennis was 16 when he was shot and killed on June 22, 2025, at a home on Wallace Road just outside Ellerbe, North Carolina. Deputies with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office confirmed his death at the scene, and the news stunned a community that had known him as a junior firefighter with Cordova Fire & Rescue since age fourteen.

Family, classmates and Cordova Fire & Rescue described Ennis as devoted to service and dreaming of a career in the fire service, remembered for easy humor and a readiness to help. Investigators later reported that a 17-year-old Richmond Senior High School student turned themself in and was charged with first-degree murder; because the suspect is a juvenile, authorities did not release a name. The juvenile is being held without bond and officials say the case remains open while they continue to gather information.

The family organized a community back-to-school drive in Ennis’s honor, a memorial effort they said reflected the generosity that defined him. Does anyone who knew Gabriel or saw activity around Wallace Road on June 22 have information to share?