Willie James Russell, 31, was found fatally shot on May 12, 2024, in the 2000 block of Seneca Drive in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Emergency crews responded about 5:30 a.m., and Russell was pronounced dead at the scene. He had been living in a tent behind a church and was reportedly walking to a friend’s house to take a shower when the attack occurred.

Court testimony and home surveillance footage presented in a June 2024 hearing identify Markeith Rushing as the primary suspect; the footage was described as showing Rushing shooting Russell multiple times and continuing after Russell had fallen. Rushing was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree conspiracy, and possession of a firearm by a felon, and was denied bond at that first appearance. Detective R. Vernon is assigned to the investigation, and police have asked the public for information; there are unconfirmed indications they may be seeking another person possibly involved.

Russell’s brother, Nick Russell, said Willie struggled with drugs and mental health issues but was trying to turn his life around; Nick suggested the attack may have stemmed from a dispute over money. Does anyone with information about that morning or the surveillance footage have tips for Detective Vernon or the Fayetteville Police Department?