Johnny Phillip Morris, 48, was shot and killed during a party at 616 Chapel Drive in Shelby, North Carolina, on the evening of September 3, 2023. Deputies from the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office arrived around 10:15 p.m. and found bystanders performing CPR; Morris was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say an altercation at the gathering between Morris and 45-year-old Travoris Dantwan Williams, reportedly over a woman at the party, escalated and witnesses indicated Williams shot Morris. Deputies observed Williams attempting to leave and detained him; he was arrested and charged with murder and is being held without bond at the Cleveland County Detention Center. Williams is a convicted felon.

Morris, born December 22, 1974, in Cleveland County, worked for C.V.G. in Kings Mountain and was the son of Jeanette Rice Morris and Joe Lewis Morris. Funeral services were held September 12, 2023, at Ellis Chapel Baptist Church with burial at the church cemetery.

Does anyone who attended the party or knew either man have information that could help clarify what happened that night?