In a tragic event that has left Hillsborough reeling, a 16-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man were found shot to death inside a vehicle last Sunday. The victims have been identified as Zikera Wardlow, a sophomore at Discover Charter School in Durham, and De’Anthony Letrelle Morgan from La Grange, Lenoir County, as reported by CBS17. According to the Hillsborough Police Department, the gruesome discovery was made on Cardinal Drive near Interstate 85 at around 6:40 a.m., after which they began to piece together the events leading up to the incident.
Details clarified by the police indicated the shots might have been fired between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Sunday. A cousin of Zikera, Quiana Edwards, told CBS17 that the family last saw the teenager the previous night. Edwards also described Zikera as a respectful teenager, often seen carrying a basketball. In an effort to quickly solve to unravel this crime, the Hillsborough Police and the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) are investigating the circumstances behind these deaths.
Further information shared by Chapelboro indicates that Zikera Wardlow, who lived in the apartment complex next to Cardinal Drive, was a former Cedar Ridge High School freshman and had played on the girls’ basketball team. The school district expressed their condolences, announcing that a moment of silence would be held before the upcoming basketball game. The other victim, De’Anthony Letrelle Morgan's family, has been notified of the tragic event, with both families now in mourning.
Adding to the narrative of the night, Lashanda Wardlow told WRAL News that her sister Zikera had left to go to Bojangles Sunday night but tragically never returned. The local community experienced a significant police presence into the afternoon of Monday along Cardinal Drive, with the investigation actively unfolding at the scene well after the shooting occurred. Amidst the search for answers, many are mourning the senseless loss of two young lives cut drastically short.
