Editor’s note: The victim’s body and the vehicle were found at separate locations.
The body of a 19-year-old man was found in the Roanoke River Saturday in Gaston.
At 7:17 a.m., the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Gaston Boat Landing at 601 Roanoke Rapids Road regarding a call about a possible car wreck or possibly abandoned car. Gaston police said the vehicle had been abandoned in the area.
As investigators were working to locate the vehicle, a fisherman discovered a body in the water at the boat landing. Police found Sherrod Person, from Roanoke Rapids, who had been shot to death.
Police said Person’s body was placed in the water, and the suspect tried to conceal the vehicle in the nearby wooded area.
Person’s death is being investigated as a homicide.
Person played football at Roanoke Rapids High School (RRHS). He graduated from RRHS in 2023. Friends of Person posted tributes on Instagram.
“I never thought that I’d be writing a text like this so early on in our lives,” said one friend. “I lost my best friend, my sidekick, my emotional support, and my A1.”
The sheriff’s office along with N.C. State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) will be assisting the Gaston Police Department with this investigation. The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the investigating agencies or submit a tip on the Northampton County Crime Stoppers website or P3 App.
