WADESBORO, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Two people associated with Steve’s North Wadesboro Grocery are facing several charges in connection to an unauthorized block party that turned into a mass shooting, killing one person, over the weekend, Queen City News has learned.
Freweini Weneh, 39, owner of Steve’s, has been cited with the following charges related to allowing the block party to occur on their property, according to state authorities:
- Consumption at off-premises establishment.
- Unlawful possession or consumption
- Any fighting or other disorderly conduct that can be prevented without undue danger to the permittee, his employees or patrons.
- Any violation of the controlled substances, gambling or prostitution statutes, or any other unlawful acts.
- It shall be unlawful for a permittee to fail to superintend in person or through a manager the business for which a permit is issued.
Weneh bonded out of Anson County Jail Monday night. She is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 15.
Store employee Abselom Egigu Taye also has been charged for the following:
- It shall be unlawful for a permittee or his agent or employee to knowingly allow any of the following kinds of conduct to occur on his licensed premises.
- Any fighting or other disorderly conduct that can be prevented without undue danger to the permittee, his employees or patrons.
- Any violation of the controlled substances, gambling or prostitution statutes, or any other unlawful acts.
Police said one person died and at least six others were injured at Steve’s North Wadesboro Grocery on North Green Street early Sunday morning, July 9.
Community advocates in Wadesboro expressed to Queen City News that they want more youth programming following the deadly mass shooting.
William Polk and MeMe Denise Liles are lifelong Anson County residents. They both noticed a lack of options for youth and took action. Polk started his own recreational football league for adults and teens, and Liles throws community events through her company Unlimited Promotions.
“We gotta restore some of the role models and some of the leaders and hold them accountable,” Polk said. “The violence that happened here, all the stuff that you might Google, it comes from lack of community help and coming together, so we gotta do better here.”
Investigators in Wadesboro are working to learn who organized the block party over the weekend and who pulled the trigger. People in the community say there was a flier circulating that invited young people to the event.
“An idle mind is the devil’s workshop, and so I really believe that if there was more to offer them then we may have less tragedies such as this,” Liles said. “My cry is ‘What is the county doing? Where is our Boys and Girls Club? Where is our YMCA?”
Thedis Spencer, Wadesboro Police chief, said there were at least 300 people packed into the parking lot of the convenience store for the block party when bullets sprayed the area.
“We know that they are blessed, from what we gathered it could’ve been worse than what it was,” Spencer said. “With me being here 30-something years, I’ve never actually witnessed a block party to that extent going on without us already having information we didn’t have any information that this was going on until we actually got the call.”
Liles says this should inspire adults to lead by example in a proactive way.
“In this small county, it is a struggle to unite people without political agendas and stuff like that,” Liles said. “So, we have to as adults, as parents, as advocates, and as a church we have to unite because our children see us and they repeat what they see.”
Spencer was tight-lipped about identifying the victims or giving their ages. He says the department will continue interviewing witnesses to push for answers in this case and get justice for victims.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to call 704-694-2167. You can stay anonymous.
