Deputies said the men exchanged gunfire after an argument inside the Nash County store.
WHITAKERS, NC — Two men died Saturday after an argument at a Dollar General in Nash County turned into gunfire, leaving one man wounded at the store and another found about a half-mile away, deputies said.
The Nash County Sheriff’s Office identified the men as Herbert Earl Lawrence Jr., 35, and Wilbert Silver III, 32. Deputies said both men were shot after a dispute at the store on South White Street in Whitakers. The case remained under investigation Sunday, with officials still working to determine what led to the argument and whether the men knew each other.
Deputies were called at 9:55 a.m. Saturday to reports of a shooting at the Dollar General at 211 S. White St. When they arrived, they found Lawrence with a gunshot wound to the chest. Deputies began life-saving measures, but Lawrence died from his injuries. Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone said the men shot each other during an argument at the store. The Sheriff’s Office said its preliminary review showed Lawrence and Silver were involved in a “heated altercation” that escalated into an exchange of gunfire.
As deputies worked at the store, investigators found Silver near the intersection of Nash and White streets, about a half-mile from the Dollar General. He also had been shot. Deputies said emergency aid was provided, but Silver died from his injuries. Officials said one of the men worked at the Dollar General, though they did not immediately say which man. Deputies also said one other employee was believed to be inside the store when shots were fired. No customers were believed to have been inside at the time, according to the sheriff’s office.
The shooting drew a large law enforcement response to a main commercial stretch in Whitakers, a small town that sits in northeastern Nash County near the Edgecombe County line. South White Street is part of a local route through the town, with homes, small businesses and community buildings nearby. Deputies asked people to avoid the area while investigators secured the store, checked nearby streets and collected evidence. Officials said there was no continuing threat to the public after the two wounded men were located.
No charges had been announced because both men involved in the exchange died. Investigators were still reviewing the sequence of events, including where each shot was fired, how Silver reached the Nash and White streets area and what may have started the confrontation. Deputies had not released details Sunday on the weapons used, whether surveillance video was recovered or whether other witnesses saw the full dispute. The Sheriff’s Office said more information would be released as the investigation continues.
The first reports described a shooting at or near the store, but later statements from deputies focused on an argument tied to the Dollar General location. Lawrence was found at the store with a chest wound, while Silver was found nearby after deputies continued the response. The split scene left investigators working across more than one location in Whitakers. Officials said the known evidence pointed to the two men firing at each other, not to a separate shooter still at large.
The case now rests with Nash County investigators, who are expected to complete interviews, examine physical evidence and review any available store or nearby camera footage. The Sheriff’s Office had not announced a briefing or report release date by Sunday. For now, officials said the deaths of Lawrence and Silver remain part of an active investigation into a fatal exchange of gunfire.
Author note: Last updated June 14, 2026.