On the evening of March 27, 2024, officers responded to reports of gunfire in the Covenant Way area of Laurinburg, North Carolina, and found 84-year-old resident Cleophus Daniel Bass dead in a neighboring yard from an apparent gunshot wound. Preliminary investigation indicated a neighborhood dispute escalated into an exchange of gunfire between Bass and another individual, and Bass sustained the fatal wound during that confrontation. A person of interest was detained at the scene, but no formal arrest had been announced and the investigation remained ongoing.

A memorial service for Cleophus Bass was held April 7, 2024, at East Laurinburg Baptist Church, where family and community members gathered. If anyone in the neighborhood witnessed the dispute or the shooting, please contact the Laurinburg Police Department with any information.