On March 29, 2024, 50-year-old Timothy Lamont Ruff was fatally shot outside an apartment building on Best Street in Shelby, North Carolina. The shooting reportedly began as a verbal altercation between Ruff and 41-year-old Jonathan Martzes Petty, who allegedly drew a firearm and shot Ruff multiple times. Ruff was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead shortly thereafter.

Shelby police identified Petty as the primary suspect and obtained warrants charging him with murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Petty remained at large and was being treated as armed and dangerous, with law enforcement urging the public to report any information about his whereabouts. Ruff’s mother, Phyllis, described her eldest son as a big ole teddy bear, generous and loyal, and said she had recently reunited with him after his release from a 20-year prison sentence in February 2022. She also recalled knowing Petty from when he was a child on her school bus route and said she wants Petty to surrender so the family can have answers.

The Shelby community has been left in shock and mourning while the investigation remains active. If anyone has information about Timothy Ruff’s killing or Jonathan Petty’s location, please contact Shelby law enforcement.