Donta Chestnut, a Wilson, North Carolina youth leader, shoots and kills a mother and son during an eviction dispute. The victims are identified as Natasha Latrice Sutton and Avantae Pender

  

A youth leader in North Carolina is accused of shooting and killing a mother and her son, as well as injuring a third person during an eviction dispute.

Donta Maurice Chestnut, 39, of Wilson, is accused of gunning down Natasha Latrice Sutton, 44, and her 21-year-old son, Avantae Pender.

Wilson youth leader had arrived to evict tenants when shooting began.

The incident happened Monday, 15 September, around 2 p.m. on Washington Street in Wilson, North Carolina.

Chestnut a local youth leader and former local city councilman candidate was trying to force Sutton and her son out of their home before the gun violence broke out. Neighbors told of hearing an argument before rapid gunfire breaking out. 

Another woman, 37-year-old Tiffany Fogg, was also shot during the incident. She survived and is recovering at Wilson Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

As of Tuesday morning, Wilson police confirmed that a fourth victim, 46-year-old Tyron Sutton, was hurt in the shooting. He was treated by Wilson County EMS on the scene with a non-life threatening injury, WRAL reported.

Chestnut a local youth leader is known as the man behind ‘Our Wilson’ – a nonprofit focused on providing Wilson’s young people with mentorship, and opportunities for a better life.

Wilson community members rattled by tragedy

Pictured fatal victim, Natasha Latrice Sutton, Wilson, N.C woman.

 

The arrest is hard to square for people like Tekeya Farmer, whose children attended youth programs Chestnut ran.

‘He comes to this community all the time, to give back to his community, clean up the yards, help the old people out, people who battle drug addiction, everything.’ Farmer told WRAL. ‘He saved a lot of lives.’ 

Neighbors say he’d raised himself up from a hard childhood of his own, and ‘served as an example in the community’. He also ran, and lost, a race for Wilson’s city council in 2023.

Chestnut is now facing two counts of first-degree murder charges and two counts of attempted first-degree murder.

Police said the investigation is still ongoing.

The Wilson Police Department asks that anyone with information regarding this case contact the Wilson Police Department at (252) 399-2323 or Crime Stoppers at (252) 243-2255.