Xavier Octavius Watson, 31, was shot and killed in Sanford, North Carolina, on Thursday, February 19, 2026. Local law enforcement responded and opened a homicide investigation into the fatal shooting.

Investigators moved quickly: an arrest was made and a Sanford man was charged in connection with the Thursday murder, according to reporting by The Sanford Herald. Specific details about how the shooting occurred and the identity of the person charged have not been widely released.

The case is set to proceed through the North Carolina court system. Does anyone in the Sanford area have information about what happened that night or knew Xavier Watson?