STOVALL, N.C. — A close-knit community in Granville County is trying to make sense of sudden, senseless violence after 22-year-old Ryan Ellington was shot and killed outside the Family Dollar store on U.S. Highway 15 Friday evening. The gravity of the moment rippled through neighbors and loved ones, turning a familiar place into the scene of deep grief and unanswered questions.
Just after 7:40 p.m., Granville County Sheriff’s Office deputies rushed to reports of gunfire in the parking lot of the small store. When they arrived, they found Ellington suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Despite the efforts of responding officers and emergency personnel, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
A second victim, a juvenile whose name has not been released due to age protections, was also struck. First responders called in Duke Life Flight, and the young person was airlifted to a nearby hospital. Officials later confirmed the juvenile was stable but recovering, a small relief in a situation marked by shock.
Law enforcement quickly identified 19-year-old Aiden Moss of Bullock as the suspect in the shooting. Moss was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder in connection with Ellington’s death, along with attempted first-degree murder for the shooting of the juvenile. He remains held without bond at the Granville County Sheriff’s Office Detention Facility as the case moves forward.
The sheriff’s office secured the area around the Family Dollar and spent hours processing the scene and speaking with witnesses. Residents described a place they’ve frequented for everyday errands suddenly transformed into a flashpoint of grief. No motive has been released, and authorities say the investigation is ongoing.
Friends and community members described Ellington as someone with his whole life ahead of him, now gone in an instant. His death leaves a hole in the lives of those who knew him — a heavy loss that has people in the county reflecting on the fragility of life and the sting of violence in places once thought safe.
As the community reels, thoughts and prayers are pouring out for Ellington’s family and for the juvenile now healing in the hospital. Residents are calling for calm and support for all affected by this night that began like any other but ended in tragedy.
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