On September 17, 2023, 34-year-old Gregory Thomas Tommy Whaley was fatally shot in Burgaw, North Carolina. The Pender County Sheriff’s Office found Whaley with critical injuries and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities later arrested 28-year-old Brandon Lee Smith and charged him with second-degree murder; Smith was booked into the Pender County Jail on a $500,000 secured bond.

Whaley was known for his skills as a mechanic and his love of anything with a motor. He enjoyed rock and country music, riding motorcycles and cruising in cars. Those close to him remembered his contagious laughter and his devotion to his daughter, Salem Rose Watkins. A celebration of his life was held on September 30, 2023, in Clinton, North Carolina.

The motive for the shooting remains unclear and the Pender County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the circumstances. Did anyone in the Burgaw area know Whaley or see him in the days before September 17, 2023?