Julius Johnson, 47, was shot outside Mike’s Food Mart on West Raleigh Boulevard in Rocky Mount on the night of November 15, 2025. Officers were called about 11:30 p.m.; Johnson was found with gunshot wounds on the pavement, taken to a hospital, and later pronounced dead. The shooting has been classified as a homicide.

Detectives identified and arrested 45-year-old Jermaine Lynch in the hours after the incident. Lynch was booked into the Nash County Jail without bond on charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury; authorities said the charges were expected to be upgraded to first-degree murder at the first court appearance. Police described the investigation as active and asked anyone who saw or heard anything that night to come forward or submit anonymous tips.

The store and the neighborhood mourned Johnson, and candles and online tributes appeared in his memory. If anyone was at Mike’s Food Mart that night or has information about what led to the shooting, please share what is known with investigators.