On December 7, 2023, 22-year-old Niyja Saquan Spain of Brunswick County, North Carolina, was killed in a shooting in the MainStay Suites parking lot at 5229 Market Street in Wilmington shortly after 10 p.m. Police found Spain and 21-year-old Taemon Kirby of Wilmington deceased at the scene after officers responded.

Police say the confrontation began as a meeting between two individuals and two other men for a transaction inside a vehicle. A firearm was discharged from the backseat, striking a front-seat passenger. Two men then exited the vehicle, and one fired toward the initial gunfire, striking a rear passenger multiple times. An individual who fired shots was taken into custody, though authorities have not released that person’s name or mugshot. Detectives continue to examine evidence in the active investigation.

A memorial service for Spain was held December 15, 2023, at First Baptist Church in Tabor City, followed by interment at Singing Union Cemetery. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Wilmington Police Department at 910-343-3609 or use the anonymous Tip 411 app.