Fayetteville Police Chief on teen murder suspects: "We want them to feel uncomfortable"
FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- As community leaders lined the entrance of the Fayetteville Police Department Monday morning, audible "Amens" came from the back of the crowd.
They were in support of the city's "Celebrate Safe Communities Week" proclamation against community violence. They became louder when Fayetteville Mayor Nat Robertson mentioned combating youth violence.
The "Amens" came from the family of Joseph Braxton III, the 16-year-old Seventy-First High School student gunned down outside a sweet sixteen house party just over a week ago.
Braxton's sisters and mother happened to be walking past the event after checking in with police on the status of the boy's murder investigation.
A week, two days, and plenty of rumors later - there still have been no arrests.
Stepping away from the Crime Prevention Month event, Fayetteville Police Chief Harold Medlock explained the department comes closer to an arrest each day.
"Those people should be looking over their shoulders," Medlock said about the suspects. "We want them to feel uncomfortable."
Medlock echoed comments made last week, saying investigators are still building a case against the young suspects.
Since Braxton's murder, Medlock has expressed frustration with a lack of cooperation from dozens of eyewitnesses who were along Randleman Street when Braxton was gunned down the evening of Oct. 4. He said there are pictures, video and statements that still need to be collected.
"As a result we've got multiple murderers driving and riding or walking around our city putting other young people in danger," Medlock said.
Medlock recently reviewed statistics showing a 7.2-percent decrease in violent crimes and a 12.8-percent decrease in overall city crime stemming from the past several months.
However, the encouraging numbers are met with discouraging recent events - Braxton's murder and the murder of another young man over the weekend, 21-year-old Lavar Gregory.
Gregory was gunned down Saturday morning outside a Fayetteville nightclub on Blue Street. He was then dropped off at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center by an unknown man who was caught on hospital surveillance.
Within hours, Gregory passed away at the hospital.
His family also met with investigators Monday morning, seeking answers.
Medlock promises both families justice.
"We're going to do everything we can to aggressively pursue people on behalf of those young men who lost their lives."
