ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (WNCN) – Investigators have arrested a suspect in connection with a weekend shooting that left two people dead in a Rocky Mount park, police said Tuesday.
According to the Rocky Mount Police Department, detectives identified 27-year-old Bernard Smith as a suspect in the shooting death of 20-year-old La’Ren Dickens. The deadly shooting took place in Martin Luther King Park off of E. Virginia Street early Sunday morning.
Smith is now being held without bond at the Edgecombe County Jail, charged with one count of first-degree murder, police said.
“The investigation remains active and ongoing,” Rocky Mount police stated in a Tuesday news release. “Certain details are being withheld at this time to preserve the integrity of the case.”
Police said additional information will be released as it becomes available and when appropriate.
The double-homicide at Martin Luther King Park, which also resulted in the death of 19-year-old Ryo Steele, was one of three Rocky Mount shootings that happened over the weekend.
Detectives said anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Rocky Mount Police Department at 252-972-1411.
