Adrian Potts

Adrian Allen Potts was an ambitious and beloved 20-year-old Black man who was full of life and big plans for his future. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, on December 15, 1995, to Rodney Potts and Essence Bembry, Adrian spent his early years there before moving to New Jersey, where he graduated from Union High School. He was a student at North Carolina Central University, studying to become a lawyer with aspirations of one day being the mayor of Charlotte. Adrian was known as a "people person" and a peacemaker. He was especially close with his older brother, NBA prospect DeAndre' Bembry, and the two were described as best friends and soulmates. Adrian was a frequent visitor at Saint Joseph's University, where DeAndre' played basketball, and was in Charlotte on a break from college, helping to plan his brother's upcoming NBA draft party.

In the early morning hours of Saturday, June 11, 2016, Adrian was at a party at the 901 Place Apartments on Collegiate Avenue in Charlotte's University City area, near the UNC Charlotte campus. Just before 3 a.m., a large crowd had gathered inside one of the apartments when an argument broke out. According to his mother and his brother's basketball coach, Adrian was not involved in the dispute but was attempting to act as a peacemaker and break up the fight. During the altercation, gunfire erupted. Adrian was shot and was pronounced dead at the scene. Three other men were also shot during the incident; they transported themselves to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and were later treated and released.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) launched a homicide investigation into the shooting. Detectives worked the case for nearly two years, gathering evidence and information to identify those responsible for Adrian's death. The investigation was complex, but police were eventually able to piece together what happened that night. The case remained unsolved for months, leaving Adrian's family and community searching for answers and justice. His brother DeAndre' tweeted "this can't be real" in the hours after learning of the tragedy that would forever alter his family's life just days before he was to be drafted into the NBA.

In March 2018, CMPD announced a major development in the case. They had identified two suspects responsible for Adrian Potts's murder: Ferguson Laurent Jr., 24, and Anthony Eugene Gill, 23. However, by the time police were able to publicly name them, both men were already deceased. Laurent had been killed on November 3, 2016, in a controversial officer-involved shooting in Salisbury, North Carolina, during the execution of a "no-knock" warrant. An SBI investigation later cleared the officer, determining that Laurent had shot at him first. Gill was killed on July 29, 2017, also in Salisbury, in a shooting on South Church Street. Two members of the Bloods gang were later arrested for Gill's murder.

Because both suspects died before they could be formally charged, there was no trial for Adrian's murder. The Salisbury Police Department acknowledged the tragic nature of Laurent's death for his family and the community, but also noted that officers had knowledge of his involvement in criminal activity. With the deaths of Laurent and Gill, the CMPD stated that no one else was being sought in connection with the case, effectively closing it. However, they still encouraged anyone with additional information to contact homicide detectives.

Adrian's death was a profound loss for his family and all who knew him. His mother, Essence, remembered him as a "unique soul" who "lost his life breaking up a fight. Always a peacemaker." St. Joseph's University basketball coach Phil Martelli described Adrian as someone who was "gonna light up the world," with a "real gift -- and an extraordinary work ethic." He recalled the powerful bond between Adrian, DeAndre', and their mother, calling them "the 3 Amigos" and noting the "real love in that family." In Adrian's memory, his brother DeAndre' launched the AP World Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting families who have lost loved ones to violence and working to break the cycle of violence in communities.

The case of Adrian Potts's murder is considered solved, though no one will be prosecuted for the crime. As of March 2018, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department had identified the responsible parties and closed the investigation. Anyone with additional information about the incident is still asked to call homicide detectives at 704-432-TIPS or Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600.