A meeting arranged in a store parking lot turned into an armed robbery in Elizabeth City, according to police, who say one man held a handgun against the victim's back while a second suspect grabbed the gun. Two men are now behind bars, held without bond, after officers say they tracked down the suspects and recovered the stolen weapon along with ammunition and a magazine.
According to WNCT, Elizabeth City police responded to the area of West Ehringhaus Street on November 7 regarding a reported theft of a firearm. Police said the victim had arranged a meeting with two people in the Ollie's parking lot, and that one of the suspects took the rifle while the second held a handgun against the victim's back. As reported by 13News Now, officers later responded near a Panera Bread on West Ehringhaus Street regarding the reported larceny of a firearm.
Suspects Identified, Arrested at Separate Addresses
Officers identified the two suspects as 18-year-old Stanley Skinner III and 20-year-old Khamoni Barcliff, per the same account from the station. The report associated Skinner with the 100 block of Forrest Skipper Drive and Barcliff with the 900 block of Southern Avenue. Barcliff was processed and transported to the Albemarle District Jail, while Skinner was transported there.
Police recovered the rifle, approximately 250 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition, and a BX-25 magazine, WNCT reported. Skinner and Barcliff were charged with armed robbery, larceny of a firearm and communicating threats, per the 13News Now report. Both are being held under no bond at the Albemarle District Jail and are scheduled to appear in Pasquotank County District Court on November 12.
Investigation Remains Open
Elizabeth City police described the investigation as active and ongoing, according to 13News Now, and have asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the department. The case comes amid other recent gun-related incidents in the city: WAVY reported that two men were separately arrested after officers discovered a stolen firearm in a vehicle during a traffic stop on West Ehringhaus Street at approximately 9:55 p.m. Another unrelated armed robbery was investigated by Elizabeth City police near the 100 block of Capital Trace around 9 p.m. on Aug. 2, when officers asked anyone near the Dollar Tree at the time to report suspicious activity, according to WCTI.
Crime Numbers Have Been Falling Citywide
The arrests arrive as Elizabeth City touts broader progress on crime. Separate reporting from WTKR found that murder, rape, robbery and car theft were all down in 2025 compared with 2024, alongside the hiring of more than 20 additional police officers since the previous summer. Police Chief Eddie Graham credited the trend to deliberate strategy rather than luck, saying, “This downward trend is not a matter of chance. It is a direct result of target-driven policing, deep investment in community partners, and proactive intervention strategies.” The supplied crime data does not break out armed firearm robberies specifically, so it's unclear how this case fits into that broader picture.
