17-year-old Dzyer Gooding killed in shooting during Memorial Day celebration at Bill Faye Park in Kinston

Tragedy struck a Memorial Day celebration at Bill Faye Park on Sunday evening.

A shootout erupted around 9:20 pm, leaving a 17-year-old named Dzyer Gooding dead from a gunshot wound.

According to authorities, upon arriving at the scene (1003 Phillips Rd.) with reports of gunfire, officers encountered roughly 200 people. Police are actively investigating leads to apprehend those responsible.

The Kinston Police Department places the highest priority on investigating crimes of violence perpetrated in our city. We will investigate such cases without compromise for crime and continue to seek assistance from the community we proudly serve. If anyone has information about this incident, please call the Kinston Police Department’s Tips Line at 252-939-4020, Lenoir County Crime Stoppers at 252-523-4444, or through the Tip411 App that is available on both Apple and Android devices. Calls to Crime Stoppers are confidential and anonymous, and the caller may be eligible for a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest.

According to investigators, an unidentified group of people in the crowd opened fire at others during the celebration.

In the chaos, 17-year-old Dzyer Gooding was unfortunately hit by gunfire.

Kinston Councilman Chris J. Suggs acknowledged the tragedy on Facebook, expressing his deepest sympathies to Gooding’s loved ones and everyone who witnessed the horrific event.

Councilman Suggs urged the community to unite in efforts to stop this kind of violence.