On December 7, 2023, around 10 p.m., two people were found dead in the parking lot of the MainStay Suites at 5229 Market Street in Wilmington after a shooting. Victims included 21-year-old Taemon Xavier Kirby of Wilmington and 22-year-old Niyja Saquan Spain of Brunswick County. Police say the victims were in a vehicle conducting a transaction with two other people when a shot was fired from the backseat and struck a front-seat passenger.

Authorities detained the person who fired the subsequent shots, but as of the latest report that person’s identity has not been released. The investigation remains active. Kirby is remembered by family as having a magnetic smile and a loving nature; he was the father of two young children, 14-month-old Amir James Kirby and one-month-old Onyx Rose Kirby. If anyone has information that could help the ongoing investigation, please contact the Wilmington Police Department at 910-343-3609 or submit a tip through the Tip 411 app.