‘It’s unreal’: Grandfather of Robeson County deadly shooting victim wants change
ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. (WBTW) — In a News13 exclusive, the grandfather of a Robeson County man who was shot and killed on Monday is speaking out.
Brandigan Hunt, 33, of Lumberton, was found dead inside a vehicle early Monday afternoon on Beam Road, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office said. The investigation determined that he was killed on Holly Swamp Church Road.
Chase Titus Locklear, the 20-year-old man who allegedly killed Hunt, was arrested Tuesday during a traffic stop on Highway 72 west.
Paul Hunt, Brandigan’s grandfather, said both of his grandsons have been killed in Robeson County and he wants to see change.
“It’s unreal,” he said. “There’s no answer for it. It shouldn’t have happened.”
Hunt said he spoke with one of the detectives working on the case, who said “they are killing fast and we can’t keep up with it.”
Crime stats released by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation shows Robeson County ranked first in the state for violent crimes the past four years in a row.
“If you do a crime in this county, you should pay for it,” Hunt said. “They need to make an example out of some of these people doing these murders and killing people for no reason.”
Hunt also said drugs are a big issue in the county. He claims authorities aren’t doing anything about it.
In 2023, the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office started a program called “SAFE,” which stands for “Substance Abuse Freedom and Education.” However, Hunt said he continues to see drug issues.
“I’m not the only person whose children have been murdered for no reason,” he said.
Hunt and other community members say they are tired of seeing these crimes take place and want to see change in Robeson County.
“The law enforcement in this county and our county commissioners need to step up to the plate and do something about this,” Hunt said.
Brandigan Hunt’s family is relieved the alleged killer was caught, but that doesn’t change the fact that his he won’t be coming home.
“You can’t put a price on life,” Hunt said. “My son isn’t coming back here, never again on this earth. Won’t ever see another one of them anymore, but I hope I’ll be able to meet them one day. And they need to do something about it.”
News13 reached out to Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins to see if he had any response to Hunt claiming authorities are not stepping in to help. Below is his response.
“Drug issues are present across the United States and beyond and not just a Robeson County problem. In fact, I have been doing this for over 40 years and it has only gotten worse. Our drug division along with our federal task force partners are doing the very best they can to combat a problem that will seemingly never end. We will continue our quest to protect our communities and stop drug dealers in their tracks.”
The investigation is still ongoing. Count on News13 for updates.
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Gracie is a multimedia journalist at News 13 and is from Cleveland, Ohio. Gracie joined the team in June 2023 after graduating from the University of Alabama in May. Follow Gracie on Facebook, Instagram and X, formerly Twitter, & read more of her work here.
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