Father of Fayetteville shooting victim finds son's body hours later

Cededrion Whitlock's father found his body less than a block from where he lived.

"I was taking my daughter to school, and I saw my son laying out there about 8 this morning. So he was out there about 12 hours," Cedrick Whitlock told WRAL News.

Officers responded to a report of shots fired in the 2800 block of Blockade Runner Drive at about 8:15 p.m. Sunday, but when they arrived, they found no evidence of a shooting.

"Apparently my son was up the street, about three blocks from the house, had an altercation, shots were fired, [and] he was hit," Cedrick Whitlock said. "He tried to make it back to the house, and he collapsed on the other side of my neighbor's house."

Cedrick Whitlock said it wasn't unusual for his 19-year-old son to stay out beyond his curfew, so he wasn't too worried when he didn't return home Sunday night.

"He's not a bad kid – played football, worked on his off time" he said.

Cededrion Whitlock was a member of the Jack Britt High School football team, and his father said team members and the high school community have rallied to help the family.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Fayetteville police at 910-751-1046 or Crime Stoppers at 910-483-TIPS.