On February 3, 2024, at about 8:30 p.m., deputies from the Tyrrell County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of gunfire near South Road Street and Railroad Street in Columbia, North Carolina. They found 25-year-old Keshawn Spruill with a gunshot wound; he was transported toward ECU Health Chowan Hospital but died en route.

The Sheriff’s Office interviewed witnesses and followed multiple leads. On February 7, 2024, 21-year-old Yuri Spencer was arrested and charged with murder in connection with Spruill’s death; Spencer is being held at the Dare County Detention Center without bond. The motive has not been released, and it is unclear whether Spencer and Spruill knew one another.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Tyrrell County Sheriff’s Office at 252-796-2251; anonymity can be requested. Does anyone in Columbia have information about Spruill or the events that night?