Meanwhile, a second person was charged Tuesday night in the shooting. Tiffany Chestnut, 36, who is Donta's sister is facing two felony charges for allegedly handing the gun used in the shooting back to the suspect after he dropped it on the ground as he ran away from the scene.
She appeared before a Wilson County judge on Wednesday morning after making bond last night.
Donta Chestnut is a prominent figure in the neighborhood, best known for his work with youth and for being an anti-gun violence advocate. He ran unsuccessfully for city council in 2023. Chestnut also founded the nonprofit community group Our Wilson.
Wilson community shaken by triple shooting that left 2 dead
"We are just grieving," said pastor Bishop Sherman Blandon of Mount Moriah Community Church-Wilson. "There's a lot of people who don't understand why. Don't understand what happened. The unfortunate reality is some of us may never know. But in moments like this, no one wins. And it just leaves a big hole in the community."
Several family members were seen cleaning out some of the home on Washington Street where the shooting happened. They told ABC11 that Chestnut came to the home to seek rent payment and to evict Sutton if no payment was received.
In a since-deleted Facebook video, Chestnut can be heard addressing Sutton and Pender at the entryway of the home, telling the pair to leave. According to family, a separate cell phone video captured Chestnut firing a weapon, before allegedly pistol-whipping another relative at the home, and shooting Sutton's sister, Tiffany Fogg.
"We've got everything. He'll never see the light of day again," said a family member who asked not to be identified.
Blandon said Chestnut's actions will weigh heavily on the lives of the people he's affected.
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"Taking someone's life is never the answer. And realizing that certain consequences...he was very active, it was part of his life's work," added Blandon. "To the children that he worked with, I know that there's a huge hole in their hearts and a lot of them are trying to understand."
Meanwhile, Sutton's cousin, who also knows Chestnut, said she has spent the day grieving.
"Even if Natasha owed money or whatever the case was, that wasn't it. Violence and her death wasn't it. Doesn't really matter if that was my family member or not. It's still wrong. But it hurts more knowing it was my family," said Shatyra Barnes. "Even as a business owner, you can't take matters in your own hands. I know. The thing is, it doesn't matter what good he did. It does not matter. And I guess people are not standing up for that. It's more of that good that you did is out the window with me because September 15th is when your bad kicked in. And it wasn't just bad, it was double homicide."
Chestnut remains in jail under no bond. He's due back in court on Sept. 30.