Breyon Shon Deese

A teen is found dead from gunshot wounds
Breyon Shon Deese, a 16-year-old African-American male from Greensboro, North Carolina, was looking forward to the future. He dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur and was excited about the impending arrival of his own son. His mother, Kesha McNeil, remembered him as a quiet, "stand-off" type of person who didn't bother anyone and preferred to keep to himself rather than be in a crowd. He was her only son, and in the summer of 2009, his life was cut short by violence that had been escalating in his neighborhood for months.

In March 2008, Kesha McNeil had moved with Breyon and her two daughters to the Hickory Trails apartment complex on Bernau Avenue. Soon after, she said, a group began threatening her family, driving by their home, yelling profanities, and trying to start fights over territory. McNeil reported the threats to the police multiple times. The situation grew more dangerous in the months leading up to Breyon's death. In April 2009, bullets pierced the family's van. Just a week before the fatal shooting, a 6-year-old girl playing in her kitchen in the same complex was shot in the ear.

On the morning of Tuesday, August 4, 2009, the threats culminated in tragedy. At 11:54 a.m., Greensboro police officers responded to a call about a shooting at 4214 Bernau Ave. in the Hickory Trails Apartments. They found Breyon lying on the ground behind one of the apartment buildings. He had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene. The shooting occurred on a pedestrian bridge that connected two sections of the sprawling apartment complex.

The Greensboro Police Department immediately began a homicide investigation, following up on leads and interviewing two persons of interest in the case. However, no arrests were made, and the case grew cold. In the days following the shooting, the neighborhood remained on edge. There were two separate assaults in the area the next evening, and on Thursday afternoon, more shots were reportedly fired on a nearby street. The tension was palpable among residents.

The community’s grief and fear were evident. A planned National Night Out crime-prevention event scheduled to be held in the neighborhood that Thursday was canceled to allow residents and Breyon's family time to mourn their loss. City officials acknowledged the need to respect the community's wishes as they worked through the trauma. One longtime resident of Hickory Trails described the area as "suffering because of a small group of bad people," lamenting that the violence was giving the neighborhood a bad reputation.

Years have passed, but the murder of Breyon Shon Deese remains unsolved. His mother was left not only with the pain of losing her son but also with the financial burden of his burial, which she could not afford at the time. Breyon never had the chance to become an entrepreneur or to meet his newborn son. His family continues to wait for answers and for justice to be served.

The Greensboro Police Department and Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers continue to seek information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Breyon's death. Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000. All tips can remain anonymous.