Shootings continue in Kinston, three more early Monday morning leaving two dead
Update: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
Investigators with the Kinston Police Department made a third arrest in the three shootings that killed two people on Monday.
Police arrested Calvin Suggs in connection with in the killing of a 17-year-old juvenile and the attempted murder of a 71-year-old female.
Suggs has been charged with aid and abet to murder and aid and abet to attempted murder and placed in the Lenoir County Jail under a $2,000,000.00 bond.
At this time the Kinston Police Department believes that those directly responsible for these recent murders have been apprehended.
The Kinston Police Department will be working closely with the Lenoir County District Attorney’s Office as well as the United States Attorney’s Office to seek prosecution for those involved. Investigators will continue to follow leads to ensure that anyone who may have assisted with these crimes is prosecuted as well.
Original Story
Kinston police arrested two men in connection with three shootings that occurred early Monday morning that left two men dead.
Around 4:20 a.m., Kinston police responded to a report of a shooting near the intersection of Adkin and E. Bright Streets. Police arrived to discover a 71-year-old female victim unharmed after multiple rounds had been fired into a vehicle. The woman’s name is being withheld for concerns for her safety, according to the Kinston Police Department.
About 20 minutes later, KPD was notified that someone had been shot at the 100 block of Airport Road. Police found John Palmer, 28, of Kinston dead from a gunshot. At 5:45 officers were called to the 1500 block of Hyman Ave. A 17-year-old juvenile was found dead on the roadway from multiple gunshots.
Later that afternoon, officers were able to arrest two men they believe are responsible for the shootings.
Earvin Lee Waters Jr., 24, has been charged with first-degree murder in an incident that happened on the 1500 block of Hyman Ave. and attempted first-degree murder for the shooting near the intersection of Adkin and E. Bright Streets.
Waters was taken into custody without incident in Greenville with the help of the State Bureau of Investigation and the Greenville Police Department.
Samuel Tiveon Roberts, 32, was arrested for aiding and abetting attempted murder for the shooting that occurred near Adkin Street and aiding and abetting first-degree murder for a shooting that happened on Hyman Avenue.
Roberts remains in the Lenoir County Detention Center, according to jail records. A release from the KPD did not state if he is under bond, nor did it say where Waters was taken.
“I have no idea. We are trying to establish the motive on that one,” said Kinston Police Capt. Brandon Turner when asked why someone would shoot at an elderly woman. “Whether it was a random act of violence, we do believe all three were related.”
To date, this is the sixth shooting that has happened in Kinston in nearly a month and a half — some fatal. Mayor Don Hardy and local pastors called for an end to gun violence on July 11 at City Hall. Hardy is also proposing a city curfew for everyone under the age of 18 and unaccompanied by an adult, to be inside by dusk.
The curfew would run from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. A previous curfew, which ran from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. is no longer in effect. The old curfew was previously part of the city’s youth protection ordinance.
“It’s very unfortunate that people just aren’t heeding the warning and the advice of our elected officials,” Turner said.
More arrests could be forthcoming, according to the KPD.
This is an active investigation and anyone with any information is encouraged to contact the Kinston Police Department’s Tip Line at 252-939-4020 or Lenoir County Crime Stoppers at 252- 523-4444. Calls can be anonymous and confidential.
This article originally appeared on Kinston/Jones Free Press: Six shootings in a month in Kinston, two dead Monday morning
