On May 18, 2024, at about 2:00 p.m., officers from the Gastonia Police Department responded to a reported shooting at a residence on Dix Street in Gastonia, North Carolina. They found 19-year-old Zanayah White with fatal gunshot wounds; emergency medical personnel pronounced her dead at the scene. The investigation says White had been involved in a domestic altercation with her boyfriend, 24-year-old David V. McDowell III, and that McDowell allegedly shot White in the presence of her 14-year-old sister.

After the shooting, McDowell reportedly encountered White’s mother’s fiancé, 31-year-old Keith Tate, and shot him in the face. Tate drove away, crashed on Adams Avenue, and was taken to CaroMont Regional Medical Center for treatment. Arrest warrants were issued charging McDowell with first-degree murder and felony aggravated assault; with Kings Mountain Police Department’s assistance he was arrested on May 20, 2024, and is being held without bond awaiting trial. Family and friends remember Zanayah as a caring person and a loving mother to her young son. Was anyone in Gastonia aware of Zanayah or her family and willing to share information that could help the discussion on domestic violence or this case?