In Fayetteville, North Carolina, a 32-year-old Black veteran and father-of-three was fatally shot by a man driving a pickup truck.
Stephen Addison was riding home from the gym on his motorcycle when 51-year-old Roger Dale Nobles Sr. shot him.
Video footage from a nearby driver showed Nobles' son, Roger Dale Nobles Jr., had gotten out of their truck and was arguing with Addison. The video did not pick up what the argument was about.
The confrontation lead to Nobles Sr. shooting Addison from inside his truck. Nobles Jr. walked away without assisting Addison who had fallen to the ground.
Police and Cumberland County sheriff's deputies arrested Nobles Sr. at his home and charged him with first-degree murder.
Nobles Jr. was also arrested but released without charges.
Addison's wife, Justina Hemphill, spoke about her husband.
"Stephen was a great guy."
"People always say someone lit up a room."
"My husband lit up every room he went into."
Friends of Addison described him as a "great, loving soul," during the candlelight vigil that took place at the intersection where his death occurred.
Justin Cockrell, a friend of Addison, said:
"[He was] a loving, caring guy for anybody."
"He stayed out the way [and] was never in anybody's business."
"There won't be one bad word spoken about Stephen."
Cockrell said he lost his friend "for nothing," and added:
"It's just senseless."
"It's 2022, and we're still talking about road rage, I mean, come on."
"I lost my brother, for what?"
Out of this tragedy, Hemphill and Addison's ex-wife Liz Orbles connected through their shared grief. Orbles had a son and a daughter with Addison.
Orbles shared her sentiments towards Nobles Sr.:
"As soon as your son walked away, you killed my kid's father."
"Now he's not here."
Family and friends of Addison gathered and placed pictures at the intersection in his memory while they wondered how road rage could turn into murder.
The rage of ignorant, hateful white men takes another black life. Roger Dale Nobles Sr, 51, shot and killed 32yo motorcyclist Stephen Addison, father of 3 and "great loving soul". \n\n#HateCrime\n#BlackLivesMatter #BLM #Republican #GOP #GQP #SmartGunLawsNowhttps://www.wral.com/police-man-admitted-to-road-rage-shooting-charged-with-first-degree-murder/20060919/\u00a0\u2026— Minji Attchya \ud83d\udc89\ud83d\ude37 \ud83c\udf0a (@Minji Attchya \ud83d\udc89\ud83d\ude37 \ud83c\udf0a) 1641343331
Another racially charged killing perpetrated by two cowards. Stephen Addison leaves behind three kids.https://mol.im/a/10376055— Makkim (@Makkim) 1641529824
Keep an eye on this one. RT and use the \nWe aren't waiting on this one. \n#AhmaudArbery all over again. \n#StephenAddisonhttps://www.yahoo.com/news/just-senseless-north-carolina-man-133000794.html\u00a0\u2026— Atlanta Justice Alliance (@Atlanta Justice Alliance) 1641597000
The men who murdered Stephen Addison in North Carolina were racists and had threatened violence w/firearms in the past\n\nLike with the recent Denver shooter, the signs were there\n\nPlanned or not, shootings like this, Ahmaud Arbery, etc, aim to sew terror\n\nhttps://www.wral.com/analysts-son-involved-in-road-rage-shooting-knew-his-father-was-planning-to-shoot/20064330/\u00a0\u2026pic.twitter.com/BAqBA0f9DO— Comrade Bumblejack \ud83c\udf3d\ud83c\udff4 (@Comrade Bumblejack \ud83c\udf3d\ud83c\udff4) 1641433756
A group of motorcyclists paid their respects for Addison by revving their engines on Skibo Road in Fayetteville.
Dozens of motorcyclists holding up traffic on Skibo Road in #fayetteville making noise for #stephenaddison @WNCNpic.twitter.com/8ZtRncDiPv— Justin Moore (@Justin Moore) 1641677431
Cumberland County District Attorney Billy West is seeing if a hate crime is a possible charge against Nobles. He will continue to do interviews and evaluate the evidence before presenting any further possible charges.
Two security analysts said the six-minute exchange between Addison and Nobles Jr. and the son’s body language lead them to believe he knew his father would use a weapon.
Anthony Waddy of SAV Consulting said:
“Where he’s actually standing in reference to, what we call in the military, a fatal funnel."
"He’s clearly out of harm’s way.”
Waddy believes Nobles Jr. was intentionally creating a clear shot for his father while staying at a safe distance. They also noted Nobles Jr. didn't flinch after the shot happened.
After Addison fell to the ground, Nobles Jr. also didn't turn to his father and appear shocked at what transpired.
This is STEPHEN ADDISON. A Veteran, Father, Husband & a VICTIM. \nMy nieces & nephew will no longer be able to hug, learn from, or hear their father\u2019s voice for the rest of their lives \nMy sister has to raise their kids without her husband! Lord give our family the strengthpic.twitter.com/KWft87dGIX— Summ. (@Summ.) 1641493049
Hemphill spoke through heavy sobs:
"Who could do that, just kill somebody and just continue on with life?"
"You didn't just do that."
Nobles Sr. is being held in the Cumberland County jail without bond as police continue to investigate. They encourage the community to share any other footage or knowledge about the incident.
