Instagram video may have shown aftermath of murder in Fayetteville murder-suicide
Hundreds of people expressed outrage across social media Wednesday after a video posted to an Instagram account may have shown the final moments of a Fayetteville 18-year-old’s life before he turned the gun on himself after killing a teen girl.
Tatiana Haywood, 18, was found dead about 8:15 a.m. after police were called to her home in the 3700 block of Carlos Avenue, according to the Fayetteville Police Department. The individual police say shot her, Nasir Scott, was taken from the scene to the hospital with an “apparent self-inflicted” gunshot wound where he was pronounced dead, the release said.
More: Teens dead in Wednesday morning Fayetteville murder-
The roughly 30-second video was posted at 7:53 a.m. Wednesday to an Instagram account believed to belong to Scott and began with what sounded like a male breathing heavily. The camera was pointed at the floor as he walked through what appeared to be a kitchen, then down a short, dark hallway. The individual then walked into a room, cursing under his breath, and the camera captured images of what appeared to be the body of a young woman lying on the floor. The person filming then tossed a handgun onto a bed and cursed under his breath again. The video ended moments after the individual uttered two worried expletives as he lifted the girl's arm and she did not respond. The video was no longer available on Scott's account as of 9 a.m. Thursday. The Fayetteville Observer learned of the video on Wednesday afternoon but waited until it was no longer available there before reporting on it.
Officer Alexandria Pecia said Wednesday that detectives were aware the video was circulating online and were working with social media channels to get the video removed. It was not clear if Instagram played a part in its removal or if the video automatically expired after 24 hours.
The nature of the relationship between Scott and Haywood is still under investigation, Pecia said.
In addition to the now-deleted video, the Instagram account featured photos of a young couple together, dressing as characters from the “Despicable Me” movies for Halloween. Other photos showed the two together and individually in what appeared to be a classroom, a clothing store and in front of a school bus. In one photo posted in November, a girl sat in what looked to be the same bedroom seen in the video.
Cumberland County Schools spokesperson Lindsay Whitley said Thursday that Haywood was a senior at Douglas Byrd High School and was set to graduate at 8 a.m. June 7. He said Scott was a former 11th-grade student at the school who "chose to leave" on May 10.
Whitley said members of the school district's trauma and loss team were at the school Wednesday and Thursday.
"We are deeply saddened to learn about this tragic situation," he said. "Our thoughts are with their families and loved ones."
Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective A. Wolford at 910-705-2141 or Crimestoppers at 910-483-8477. Crimestoppers information can also be submitted electronically by visiting http://fay-nccrimestoppers.org and completing the anonymous online tip sheet or by downloading the free “P3 Tips” app available in the Apple and Google Play app stores.
Public safety reporter Lexi Solomon can be reached at ABSolomon@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Instagram video may show aftermath of Fayetteville murder-suicide
