Sixteen-year-old Jerard Arquello Reid Jr. was fatally shot on January 17, 2024, at about 10 p.m. at a gas station in the 500 block of Cox Road in Gastonia, North Carolina. The shooting was reported as the city’s first homicide of 2024. Authorities say Reid Jr. passed away January 18, 2024; funeral services were held at New Canaan Baptist Church and burial at Armstrong Cemetery.

Gastonia Police detectives arrested 19-year-old Brandon Cunningham and charged him with first-degree murder; the investigation is described as active and ongoing. Community discussion after the killing has focused on safety at the gas station, including whether prior violence, the presence of security personnel, or property-owner responsibilities might have played a role.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Gastonia Police Department at 704-866-3300. Does anyone have details about what happened at the gas station that night or about local security concerns there?