Two, including owner, killed at Fayetteville food mart

Police said two men, including the owner of Ya-Ya Food Mart, were killed during a disturbance outside the Murchison Road business early Saturday.

Posted 10:51 a.m. Jun 27, 2009 — Updated 11:11 p.m. Jun 27, 2009

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Police officers responding to a shooting found the bodies of two men at Ya-Ya Food Mart, 3122 Murchison Road, early Saturday.

The Fayetteville watch commander said that the owner of Ya-Ya Food Mart went outside to break up a disturbance around 1 a.m., and gunfire erupted.

Officers found the owner's body lying on the floor inside the business and a second man dead in the front passenger seat of a vehicle in front of the business. Police were not able to locate the driver.

Police had not made any arrests in the homicide investigation but said they had located a person of interest.

The victims' names were withheld, pending notification of next-of-kin.

Customers said the family-owned business has been around for decades.

“They’re real good people. They have reasonable prices. I never would have thought anything like this would have happen to them,” customer Joshua Bauman said.

This is the third double shooting in one week in Fayetteville.

On Tuesday, police found the bodies of Joe "Hawk" Hawkins and his 26-year-old son, Alexis Hawkins, in their apartment at 5008-D Watauga Road, police said. No arrests in the deaths have been made, but authorities on Saturday issued warrants for the arrest of 20-year-old Mario Jacquez Boykin.

Tremayne Wayne Council, 22, was shot to death Thursday morning as he walked along Starlit Drive in eastern Cumberland County.

Another victim, 16-year old Maurice LaQuan McLean of 2507 Slater St., was recovering from gunshot wounds he received in the shootout.

Some Fayetteville residents say this week’s shootings have them afraid.

“It makes you second guess about going out now,” Bauman said. “You don’t know what’s gonna happen.”

“I think it’s gonna put a lot of fear in the community,” Fayetteville resident Anthony Harris said.

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