BY NICOLE BOWMAN-LAYTON
EDENTON — In the wake of a shooting at the local Food Lion that rattled Edenton, about 200 community members, first-responders, clergy, and civic leaders gathered for an evening of reflection, healing, and hope. The event, held Thursday at Edenton Baptist Church, offered space for residents to grieve, seek answers, and discuss how to move forward together.
“We’re not here to have fun,” said Edenton Baptist Church Pastor Koby Strawser, early in the evening. “We are here to learn. We’re here to grieve, and we’re here to heal.” Drawing on scripture from the book of Isaiah, Strawser urged the crowd to imagine a future without violence, quoting: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.”
The gathering, initiated by Edenton Police Chief David LaFon, was designed not as a formal town hall but as a “healing meeting.”
“I didn’t think we’d have this many folks,” LaFon said. “That’s a good thing — that we’ve got the community to come together as one.”
Addressing rumors and phone calls from the public, LaFon clarified information about the incident. The information is included in a previous article you can visit by clicking here.
The shooting occurred on Sunday, May 5, around 6:53 p.m. outside the Food Lion on Virginia Road. According to police, three individuals were involved. Suspect Raymark Devon Bembury, has been arrested and charged. The investigation remains active, and further charges are possible.
Given that the store had an estimated 60–75 people inside and 30–35 outside at the time, officials emphasized that the situation could have been far worse.
“We’re taking it seriously,” said Lafont. “Food Lion is one of the busiest places in our town.”
A Shaken but Resilient Community
Mayor Hackney High acknowledged the emotional impact on the town, calling Food Lion “our town square.”
“We go there for groceries, but we also go to see our neighbors and friends. This incident shook us to our very core,” he said.
He praised the turnout and reminded residents of the mental health professionals available at the event.
“If you’ve been affected — as it relates to your safety, your anxiety — please reach out,” he urged. “We want Edenton to be not just a safe community, but a supportive one.”
The mayor also encouraged residents to engage positively on social media and to resist divisiveness.
“Let’s be part of the solution, not the criticism,” he said. “Let’s post things that are proactive and positive.”
Councilman Sambo Dixon (1st Ward) noted that those involved in the incident made a deliberate decision and the district attorney’s office will hold those individuals accountable.
Dixon noted that town officials are committed to find a solution so incidents like the one that occurred Sunday “never happen again.”
He noted a passage from Romans 12, verse 21: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” This passage encourages Christians not to be defeated by negativity but to respond to it with positive actions and behaviors.
The theme of using positivity — love — to conquer hate continued throughout the speeches given during the event.
Faith and Fear: A Call to Love
Pastor Jonathan Downing, of Shalom International Church, offered words of encouragement while acknowledging the community’s fear. Downing also serves as chaplain for the Edenton Police Department.
“It’s okay to be a little afraid,” she said. “But when you move into fear that paralyzes your life, that’s where the problem begins.”
Holding up a child’s overloaded bookbag as a metaphor for emotional burdens, Downing said, “When you’re carrying a load of anxiety and fear, you need help. As a community, we can help carry that.”
Downing emphasized the power of unity, urging residents to walk in what she called “perfect love.”
“God has set before Edenton an open door,” he said. “But if we don’t walk together in love, someone else — something else — will walk through that door.”
Trauma, Healing, and Mental Health
Keith Hamm of Integrated Family Services, a mental health crisis responder with over 16 years of experience, spoke about trauma and recovery.
“When something traumatic happens, your brain wants to redeem it — to find a way to make something negative into something positive,” he said.
Hamm warned of the emotional and behavioral signs of trauma — difficulty concentrating, disrupted sleep or eating, and even overuse of substances — and urged residents to ground themselves in reality, not rumors.
“Sometimes, you just need to leave Facebook alone,” the Chowan County resident said, to murmurs of agreement.
“There’s a lot of misinformation out there. Stick to what happened, not what might have happened. And talk to people who make sense — not just the loudest voice online.”
Hamm noted that the easiest way to overcome the trauma is to acknowledge it, and the brain automatically begins to self-correct. And the greatest way to overcome hate is through love.
“Redeem (the incident) by loving more,” he said. “Make Edenton a place where (the incident) can not happen. … There is no amount of bad in the world that can’t be overcome with love.”
Hamm praised the town’s proactive leadership.
“In all my years doing debriefings across 33 counties, I’ve never had a police chief initiate something like this,” he said. “That tells me something good about Edenton.”
He and his coworkers were available throughout the night to provide resources and one-on-one support.
Looking Ahead
Downing reminded the crowd, “We can’t just pray. We’ve got to act. We’ve got to close the doors that allow violence and fear in, and we’ve got to do it together.”
LaFon noted that a Food Lion employee had shown up to the meeting.
“We want healing for you all too,” he said to the store employees.
Integrated Family Services has a 24/7 Mobile Crisis Team that responds to mental health and substance abuse issues. To contact them, call 1-866-437-1821.
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