Roland Howard Frazier, 23, was shot and later died at Raleigh General Hospital after a disturbance at a large party at a home on Maxwell Hill in Beckley, West Virginia, in the early hours of September 14, 2014. Police reported a fight broke out during the gathering and that shots were fired; Roland was struck and succumbed to his injuries that Sunday. Authorities confirmed the location and that the shooting happened amid a crowded social event but did not publicly describe what sparked the fight, who fired the shots, how many people were directly involved, or whether Roland was specifically targeted.

Roland was born July 3, 1991, to Reverend Robert and Juquita Frazier and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 2009. He played guitar, keyboard and trumpet, sang in band and choir, studied music at Glenville State College, attended New River Community College, and was employed at Applebee’s. Funeral services were held September 20, 2014, at Heart of God Ministries with burial at Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens. If anyone at the Maxwell Hill gathering or who knew Roland has information about who fired the fatal shot, please share what is known.