A 42-year-old man from Shannon, North Carolina, was found dead early Tuesday morning after a welfare check by local deputies, setting off a homicide investigation that has left neighbors and family shaken.
Just before 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Robeson County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the 100 block of Lewis Farm Road near Highway 71 for a well-being check on Robert Lee Taylor Jr., according to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office. When officers arrived, they found Taylor unresponsive with what appeared to be gunshot wounds. Despite efforts by first responders, he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators from the Sheriff’s Office homicide and criminal investigations divisions are now working the case, but so far, no arrests have been announced. Officials are asking anyone with information to reach out to the sheriff’s office at (910) 671-3100.
Friends and neighbors describe the loss as sudden and heartbreaking. Taylor was known in the Shannon community — a quiet place where news of violent crime doesn’t land lightly. People who knew him remember his presence, his laugh, and the small ways he made an impact. Those memories are now mingled with shock and sorrow as the investigation continues.
Family members have asked for privacy while they process their grief and try to understand what happened. In a brief statement, they thanked the community for its support and said they were struggling to come to terms with the loss of someone they loved dearly.
For people who live in small towns like Shannon, every tragedy reverberates. This death shines a spotlight on the fragility of life and the bewildering way violence can upend everyday routines. Questions remain about what led to the shooting, and law enforcement has urged anyone with even the smallest piece of information to come forward.
Robert’s passing leaves a hole in the hearts of his family and friends. In moments of grief, people often search for meaning in the tiny, quiet details — an old laugh, a familiar saying, a memory that refuses to fade. Those personal moments are now the legacy his loved ones will hold onto as they navigate their loss.
More details are expected as the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office continues its investigation. In the meantime, neighbors in Shannon are left to comfort one another, keeping his memory alive in the stories they share and the silence that follows such a sudden loss.
