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Updated: 10:52 PM Jul 4, 2009
Services Held For Victims; Reward Offered In Case
Services have been held for the two victims in Tuesday morning's drive-by shooting in downtown Greenville. There is a $10,000 reward for the arrest of their suspected killer. ECU students are planning an anti-violence march and vigil. Posted: 6:27 AM Jun 30, 2009Reporter: Heather King |
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765 Comments 
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GREENVILLE NC -- Services have been for the two victims in Tuesday morning's drive-by shooting in downtown Greenville. This as police say there's a $10,000 reward for the arrest of their suspected killer.
Landon Blackley, an ECU student, and Andrew Kirby, a downtown restaurant manager, were gunned down in front of The Other Place nightclub on East 5th Street.
Visitation for Blackley was held Thursday night in Oxford. Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at the Oxford United Methodist Church.
Kirby was laid to rest Thursday in his hometown of Kenly. His funeral was at 7 p.m. Thursday at Family Life Center in Kenly. A graveside service will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at Kenly Cemetery.
The ECU Student Government Association, according to its twitter page, is planning an anti-violence march and candlelight vigil Tuesday.
Greenville police continue to search for James "L.J." Richardson, who is wanted for the double murder. There is now a $10,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
Police Thursday also alerted media outlets in two states for help in locating the suspect. They say Richardson has family and friends in Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro, Raleigh and in Atlanta.
Autopsy Released
An autopsy shows that two Greenville men, shot outside a downtown bar, both died from gunshots to the chest.
The medical examiner's office tells WITN News that Andrew Kirby was shot in the chest and in the arm, while Landon Blackley was shot in the chest.
The two were killed outside The Other Place Nightclub on East 5th Street when a fight spilled out into the street. Police say Blackley and Kirby were not involved in that fight and were innocent bystanders.
Police continue to search for James "L.J." Richardson, who is wanted for the two murders.
Blackley, a native of Oxford, would have been a senior at ECU this fall, while Kirby was a manager at Michaelangelo's Pizza, that's right across the street from where the shooting happened.
Previous Story
Police continue to search for James Richardson, who is suspected in the shooting that claimed the lives of an East Carolina University student and a downtown Greenville restaurant manager.
That shooting happened outside a downtown bar early Tuesday morning.
Greenville police identified the student as 21-year-old Landon Blackley, a rising senior at ECU. The other victim, Andrew Kirby, was a manager at Michaelangelo's Pizza on East 5th Street.
An obituary for Kirby says his funeral will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Family Life Center in Kenly. A graveside service will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at Kenly Cemetery.
Kaitlin Riggs saw Kirby right before the shooting.
"It's very tragic what happened to Kirby," she said. "He's the last person in the world to deserve any of this. I remember seeing him smile right before he left."
WITN does not have information yet regarding services for Blackley.
Danielle Pittman attends ECU with Blackley.
"A couple of guys who had been at the club were completely in shock and had to tell us about the shooting they'd just seen," she said. "They were all shaken up."
Police say they are looking for James E. Richardson as the shooter. Police say the 32-year-old was arrested last year for worthless checks.
His vehicle was found around noon Tuesday on McDowell Street.
Detectives say there could be the possibility of other suspects.
Jeff Deering, owner of Michaelangelo's, says Kirby worked for him for the past nine years, and had begun managing the Fifth Street restaurant in February. Prior to that the 28-year-old Kirby managed the Michelangelo's on Evans Street.
Greenville police Corporal Kip Gaskins says a fight at the intersection of Fifth and Reade Streets led to the shooting around closing time for the bars, which is about 2 a.m.
Both shooting victims were taken to Pitt County Memorial Hospital.
Police say one victim died shortly after the shooting. The second victim died around 6 a.m.
Tuesday morning police had blocked off part of Fifth Street as part of their crime scene investigation, but have since reopened the street to traffic.
Gaskins says detectives think the victims were innocent bystanders who had nothing to do with the fight.
WITN has confirmed Richardson played basketball for J.H. Rose High School in Greenville in the mid-90s.
Greenville police confirm Richardson played basketball after high school.
Lenoir Community College confirms a James Richardson played for the Lancers in 1997 and 1998.
Online records show a Richardson who attended Lenoir Community College then playing for Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania and teams overseas, before playing for the Albany Patroons in New York in 2005-2006.
Click here to listen to 911 tapes from the shooting.
Latest Comments
When I first moved back and interviewed for my first job. One of the interviewers(a white manager) asked me why I moved back here and this was in the 90's and said the crime is not bad like in Durham and he responded with ask the woman who son has just gotten killed. I have been downtown a couple of time even after the shootings and there were many whites and blacks. The whites looked more thuggish than the blacks. Also the girls(black and white)had on dresses and shorts up to their behinds. Now we make this into a racial debate, but we know full well it is not. So before you start pointing fingers go downtown yourself and tell the truth about all races.
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I went to NCCU back in the 90's. It was no different. We had a murder on campus my first weekend there. I still stayed and finish my degree. Crime is being committed everywhere at anytime. Children are going to party when they leave home and some them get into situations and some of them are lucky to be alive. This is the worst thing that could happen when someone lose their lives. It has nothing to do with race. I am black and would not think of hurting anyone in anyway. And I know some there are alot of that feel the same way. All of us get mad that is why TAD we have serial killings and other murders. And by the way TAD serial killings are not random. It has been happening just like these crimes around these towns for centuries. But judging people and saying mean things on site makes you just as worst as the person who pull the trigger.
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NCSU grad, Schools have had to be dumbed down so everyone could pass...
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