Father of murdered Fayetteville 22-year-old said suspects tracked him down online
Twenty-year-old Devonte McClain and his 18-year-old brother
By Gilbert Baez
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FAYETTEVILLE, North Carolina (WRAL) — On Monday, a pair of brothers appeared in court for the first time in connection to the death of Lorenzo McLaughlin Jr.
Devonte and Adriane McClain are charged with first-degree murder.
A small memorial is growing where the shooting took place. His father Lorenzo McLaughlin said his son was coming back from the store when he was gunned down.
McLaughlin Jr., 22, was known as Zo to his friends. His mother cried as she looked through pictures of him before sharing them with WRAL News.
“My son was full of life,” McLaughlin said. “He liked to be the life of the party. He was just fun to be around. Parents like him, little brothers, big brothers, he was just a fun person.”
McLaughlin was gunned down Saturday night near the intersection of Primrose Drive and Stanberry Street.
Twenty-year-old Devonte McClain and his 18-year-old brother, Adriane, are charged with shooting and killing McLaughlin Jr. one block away from his home. His father said they used the internet to track him down.
“My son was on live,” McLaughlin said. “And they got his location from the internet. And that’s how they found him and killed him.”
According to the testimony in court, the three men had some type of disagreement earlier on Saturday. The father said the two brothers were no strangers to his son and that he had no idea about what the disagreement was over.
“I believe he knew them,” he said. “You know how kids are. Jealousy runs deep.”
McLaughlin Jr. graduated from E.E. Smith High School in 2019. He was planning to become a mechanic and start a family of his own. His father can’t believe he’s gone.
“I’m just kind of numb right now.” the father said.
The two suspects in this case, appeared in front of a judge today and get court-appointed attorneys. They remain locked up at the Cumberland County Detention Center without bond.
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