Shortly before 4:00 a.m. on April 27, 2024, officers from the New Bern Police Department responded to reports of gunfire in the 1900 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. In the parking lot of Something Special VIP they found two people with gunshot wounds. Antorio Johnashe’ Hargett Simmons, 41, of New Bern was pronounced dead at the scene. A second victim, 33-year-old Raquisha Brothers of New Bern, was taken to CarolinaEast Medical Center and later airlifted to ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville; she was treated and released.

Police secured the scene, interviewed potential witnesses, and collected evidence, and said there did not appear to be an ongoing threat to the community. As of December 24, 2024, no public reports indicate arrests or identified suspects in Simmons’s death and the investigation remains open. If anyone has information that could help investigators, please contact the New Bern Police Department TIPS line or the Craven County Crime Stoppers line.