GASTON COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — On Tuesday, Gastonia Police announced that they arrested a 16-year-old and charged him with killing another 16-year-old in Gaston County.
The victim’s family says he was just walking to the store to get something for his mom when he was shot and killed.
Police will not say if the victim and the suspect knew one another, but the victim’s family says the teenagers had disputes in the past.
Tilise Dawkins says she will never forget the last words she spoke to her son, 16-year-old Zaquavious Dawkins.
“He gave me a kiss. He said, ‘I’ll be back.’ I said, ‘I love you too,” said Dawkins.
Zaquavious, known as “Tank,” was a football player at Ashbrook High School.
“He was everything y’all. He was just so uplifting,” said Yana Galloway, Zaquavious Dawkins’ cousin. “He was a miracle, that’s the truth, he was a miracle.”
Galloway says Tank had health issues when he was a baby, but when he was cleared to play football, he thought that was his ticket to success.
“He was so happy, he was so happy, he would tell his mama. ‘Mom, I’m going to take us away from here,” said Galloway.
Dawkins says her son, her only child, went to the store to get her some medical supplies Sunday night, and on the way, he was shot and killed near another store on North Chester Street.
“My son was always there no matter what, that was my everything,” said Dawkins.
On Tuesday, police announced an arrest.
The teenager accused of shooting Dawkins, 16-year-old Sean James Curtis Simpson, is in the Gaston County jail, charged as an adult with first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder.
Dawkins’ family says he and Simpson knew one another, but they will never comprehend why this happened.
“I still don’t have an understanding, I will never have an understanding, only thing I know is they took him away from us,” said Galloway.
They want Simpson to stay in jail for the rest of his life.
“I feel bad for him. Now you don’t have a life,” said Galloway.
Simpson will be in court Wednesday afternoon for his first court appearance in Gaston County.
