Gregory Adonis Giles Rutherford, 34, of Morganton, North Carolina, was killed on May 31, 2025, after gunfire erupted along Kathy Road near the entrance to Belle Farm. Deputies responding around 5:45 p.m. found a chaotic scene where multiple weapons had been fired across a long stretch of roadway. Rutherford was rushed by private vehicle to UNC Health Blue Ridge and pronounced dead there.

Two other people were wounded: 53-year-old Jerry Jerome Benjamin, hospitalized in stable condition, and 24-year-old Jonathan Michael Benjamin, who sustained non-life-threatening injuries and declined treatment. Investigators say the shooting involved individuals in vehicles exchanging shots along the corridor.

Arrest warrants were obtained and authorities announced the arrests of 37-year-old Nathaniel James Tate, charged with attempted first-degree murder, and 53-year-old Jerry Jerome Benjamin, charged with discharging a firearm into occupied property; both were held without bond after first appearances. A juvenile was also charged with attempted murder and detained. Obituaries and memorial notices describe Rutherford as outgoing, handy, and cherished by his daughter, siblings, and extended family. Does anyone have information about that stretch of Kathy Road or saw activity there that afternoon?