Three accused in fatal shooting at large party in Nash County

Two Rocky Mount men and a juvenile remain in custody in connection with a weekend fatal shooting at a large party in a residential area off Exum Road in Nash County, the county sheriff’s office said in a news release Tuesday.

Elijah Battle, 20, and Yasun Powell, also 20, and the juvenile, 17, are facing murder charges resulting from the death of Caleb Turner.

Turner, 21, was killed after an attempt to rob him of his firearm sometime while the party was occurring, according to the news release.

An emergency operator at 3:18 a.m. Saturday radioed an alert to first responders and emergency personnel that a person had been shot in the 1900 block of Exum, which is northeast of Nashville proper, according to audio obtained from Nash County Emergency Services.

The sheriff’s office stated that deputies found Turner had sustained multiple gunshot wounds and that although life-saving measures were attempted, Turner was pronounced dead at the scene. The juvenile was taken into custody Saturday evening, and Battle and Powell turned themselves in early Monday morning, the sheriff’s office said.

According to N.C. District Court records online, Battle and Powell are charged with first-degree murder and felony robbery with a dangerous weapon. The sheriff’s office said that Battle is being held without bond in the Nash County Detention Center and that Powell is being held without bond in the Edgecombe County Detention Center.

The juvenile is being held in a juvenile detention center in Wake County for first-degree murder, the sheriff’s office said, adding that a charge of armed robbery is pending.

The sheriff’s office also said that a probe is continuing and that additional charges are likely in the case. Anyone with additional information about the case is asked to call the sheriff’s office at (252) 459-4121.

The sheriff’s office said that Battle had listed an address in the 200 block of Briarcliff Road and that Stokes had listed an address in the 800 block of Stokes Street.