By Ben Rappaport
Adomous Tashad Malloy Henry, 18, walked into a convenience store in Laurinburg last week and pointed a gun at another teenager who was playing a video skills game.
Henry wanted to rob 19-year-old Nicholas Nasir McCall, police said. Each pulled out a gun and fired inside the Sami Mart & More on East Vance Street. Henry died in the shootout; McCall was in critical condition at a hospital as of Friday.
On Thursday, Henry’s aunt, Brandi Bostic, smiled stoically in the media center at Scotland High School, where Henry was a student and McCall had recently graduated. More than 100 people gathered there for a community forum hosted by the Scotland County Stop the Violence Community Coalition, which aims to end youth violence.
Bostic said she wanted to turn the pain of losing her nephew into action. “I thought it was important to show my support by being here even though people know we are going through a lot,” she said. “We need something different, and we want to be part of the change for Scotland County.”
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Scotland County, home to 34,000 people in southeastern North Carolina, has long struggled with crime. It had the third-highest violent crime rate and eighth-highest murder rate in the state per capita in 2023, according to the State Bureau of Investigation.
At least four Scotland County students, including Henry, have died this school year as a result of gun violence, according to police reports.
Zahquan Thyzee Stewart,18, was killed in August while riding on an ATV with a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old. Investigators charged a 16-year-old with his murder.
Burlie Dawson Locklear, 18, was shot while working at Waffle House in Laurinburg in September. A 38-year-old man, described by investigators as an angry customer, was charged with his murder.
Jasmine Smith, 17, was shot in her front yard in January. Two men, ages 18 and 19, are charged with her murder.
“What are you supposed to do when you leave school on a Friday and don’t know who will be in the classroom the next Monday?”
Kelly Cheek, English teacher at Scotland High School
Community leaders from local churches, the school system, the hospital and more spoke during Thursday’s meeting, urging unity to tackle the problem of youth violence. The speakers encouraged everyone to get involved in violence prevention by joining subcommittees of the coalition.
“If you believe that you can make a difference in Scotland County, then you’ve got an assignment,” Baldwin told the crowd. “We have to bring about change.”
Baldwin took an informal poll of the room: “How many of you have been personally affected by violence in Scotland County?” Everyone raised a hand.
“See that?” he said. “We all recognize the problem. We all have stories to share. Now we’ve got to come together to solve it.”
Bostic said she understands firsthand the trauma kids in Scotland County experience. As a mental health counselor for Scotland County Schools, she sees how poverty and a lack of opportunity can lead to violence.
“It’s hard for me to know what to say we ought to do next,” she said. “I know the need. We can’t become numb. We need to do something.”
Scotland County had an unemployment rate of 5.7% in February, two points above the statewide average, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce. It also has the second-highest poverty rate behind neighboring Robeson County, with 40.4% of people living below the federal poverty line, nearly double the statewide average.
Kelly Cheek, an English teacher at Scotland High School, consoled Bostic after the meeting on Thursday. Expressing condolences to families who have lost loved ones to violence has become familiar over a decade spent teaching. She had Bostic’s daughter and Henry’s brother in the same class last year.
Cheek said she has taught both perpetrators and victims of youth violence. The emotional strain in the community is overwhelming.
“Our community is bleeding,” she said. “What are you supposed to do when you leave school on a Friday and don’t know who will be in the classroom the next Monday?”
To combat youth violence, Cheek said, society must humanize young people. She said more parents, teachers and community members need to recognize the hardships Scotland County students are dealing with.
“You’ve got to love them, invest in them, know when things aren’t right,” Cheek said. “You also have to be willing to ask how to help.”
She said her students are constantly in “sheer survival mode,” just trying to make it to the next day. If they’re always thinking about their next meal or making it home safely, Cheek said, it’s hard for them to focus on pursuing greater opportunities.
“I feel like if I can be that person in a moment of crisis for a student,” Cheek said, “they need to feel comfortable reaching out.”
