On September 15, 2024, at about 1:04 a.m., officers responded to reports of gunfire at Hal Orr’s Inn, 2420 North Wesleyan Boulevard in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Thirty-nine-year-old Mack Jenkins was shot after an altercation at the motel and was taken to a residence on the 400 block of Saint Paul Street, where emergency medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene. Jenkins was born June 25, 1985, and lived in Sharpsburg, North Carolina; family and friends remembered him for his vibrant personality.

The investigation identified three suspects. Harold Phillips and Alicia Pettaway were arrested and charged with felony accessory after the fact; Phillips’ bond was set at $25,000 and Pettaway’s at $10,000, both held in the Nash County Jail. The primary suspect, Jessie Earl Johnson Jr., was charged with first-degree murder and was at large immediately after the incident; authorities asked the public for information on his whereabouts.

Funeral services were held September 27, 2024, at The Impact Pointe in Rocky Mount, and an online memorial was created for condolences. If anyone has information that could help locate the remaining suspect or advance the investigation, contact the Rocky Mount Police Department or Crime Stoppers.