A 12-year-old boy is sitting in a juvenile detention center right now, charged with murder. Let that sink in for a second. Not shoplifting. Not vandalism. Murder. Along with a 16-year-old co-suspect, this kid is accused of fatally shooting a 42-year-old man in Goldsboro, North Carolina, on the evening of May 7, 2026. The victim, Edward Duncan Jr. of Smithfield, died at a local hospital from a gunshot wound. And the youngest person accused of pulling the trigger, or at least playing a direct role, hasn’t even started high school yet.
This case has rattled the Goldsboro community and drawn statewide attention, not just because of the killing itself, but because of the ages involved. Here’s everything we know so far about what happened, how the arrests went down, and what comes next for both suspects.
What Happened on Vanderbilt Circle
On the night of May 7, just after 8:38 p.m., Goldsboro police officers received a ShotSpotter alert indicating gunfire in the 100 block of Vanderbilt Circle. ShotSpotter is an acoustic surveillance system that detects the sound of gunshots and pinpoints the location for law enforcement. While officers were already heading to the scene, additional reports came in that someone had been shot.
When police arrived, they found Edward Duncan Jr. suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to UNC Health Wayne, where he later died from his injuries. Duncan was 42 years old and lived in Smithfield, a town about 30 minutes west of Goldsboro in Johnston County. Authorities have not publicly disclosed what brought Duncan to Vanderbilt Circle that evening, or what the circumstances were leading up to the shooting.
The Suspects Are 12 and 16 Years Old
During their investigation over the following days, Goldsboro detectives identified two suspects: a 16-year-old boy and a 12-year-old boy. Neither suspect’s name has been released to the public because both are minors. That’s standard procedure in North Carolina when juvenile suspects are involved, regardless of the severity of the charges.
The 12-year-old faces three charges: murder, larceny of a firearm, and possession of a stolen firearm. Those weapons charges are significant. They indicate the gun used in the killing was stolen, meaning someone took it before the shooting occurred. Whether the 12-year-old is the one who stole the firearm or received it from someone else hasn’t been made clear by police.
The 16-year-old faces one count of murder. Police have not publicly detailed what role each suspect allegedly played in the shooting or whether one of them actually pulled the trigger while the other assisted. That information may come out as the legal proceedings move forward.
A High School Lockdown and Two Arrests
The arrests didn’t happen simultaneously, and one of them created a tense scene at a local school. After developing the 16-year-old as a suspect, investigators received a tip that the teen was attending class at Goldsboro High School. Officers went to the campus to find him, and the school was placed on lockdown as a precaution.
But the teen had already left campus before police got there. After confirming there were no safety concerns for students or staff, the lockdown was lifted. That brief lockdown still rattled parents and community members, who were alarmed that a murder suspect had been sitting in a classroom just hours or minutes before police arrived.
The 16-year-old was eventually located and taken into custody on Friday, May 16, without incident. He is being held pending his first court appearance.
The 12-year-old was arrested at his home in Goldsboro, also without incident. He was taken to a juvenile detention facility, where he is currently being held.
A Stolen Gun at the Center of the Case
One detail that stands out in this case is the stolen firearm. The 12-year-old’s charges include larceny of a firearm and possession of a stolen firearm, which means investigators believe the weapon used in the killing was taken from someone else before it ended up in the hands of a child. The weapon may have been taken in a prior theft, according to local reporting, though police haven’t released the specifics of when or where the gun was stolen.
This raises obvious questions. How does a 12-year-old get his hands on a stolen gun? Did he steal it himself, or did someone give it to him? Was anyone else involved in the chain of events that put this weapon into a child’s possession? These are questions investigators are presumably working through as the case remains active.
Who Was Edward Duncan Jr.?
The victim, Edward Duncan Jr., was 42 years old and from Smithfield, North Carolina. Beyond his name, age, and hometown, police have released very little about him publicly. The circumstances that brought him to Vanderbilt Circle on the night of May 7 haven’t been explained in any official statement.
What we do know is that he was found with a gunshot wound at the scene, transported to the hospital, and died from his injuries. A man in his early 40s, killed in a neighborhood on a weeknight. Whatever the full story turns out to be, a life was taken, and the people accused of taking it are children.
How North Carolina Handles Juvenile Murder Charges
In North Carolina, juveniles between the ages of 10 and 18 who commit acts that would be criminal offenses for adults are not automatically charged in adult court. Instead, they go through the juvenile court system, where the proceedings use different terminology and processes. A juvenile is alleged to have committed a “delinquent act” rather than being formally charged with a crime the way an adult would be.
The purpose of juvenile court is twofold: protect the public and help the juvenile become a responsible member of the community. All juveniles are presumed to be indigent and have a right to be represented by counsel at all critical stages of the proceedings. Victims also have rights, including the right to be kept informed about developments in the case.
For a felony case like murder, there must be a first appearance hearing and a probable cause hearing. But here’s where it gets complicated. North Carolina law does allow for certain serious felony cases involving juveniles to be transferred to adult court, also called superior court. For a 12-year-old charged with murder, this would be a significant legal question that the courts would have to weigh carefully.
The Raise the Age Law and What It Means Here
North Carolina’s “Raise the Age” initiative, which became effective in December 2019, moved 16 and 17-year-olds who commit crimes into the juvenile justice system rather than automatically charging them as adults. The law came about through bipartisan support and was based on years of research about how young people are better served by juvenile courts than adult prisons.
However, there’s an important update. As of December 1, 2024, 16 and 17-year-olds charged with Class A through E felonies (which includes murder, a Class A felony) now begin their cases in adult court, with the option to have their cases sent back to juvenile court. This change affects the 16-year-old suspect in this case directly.
For the 12-year-old, the situation is different. At that age, the case would start in juvenile court. But given the severity of the charge, prosecutors could seek to transfer the case to adult court. That’s a decision that involves a lot of legal wrangling and consideration of the child’s age, maturity, and the circumstances of the crime. It’s not a simple or automatic process, and it would likely draw intense public attention if pursued.
A Community Shaken
Goldsboro is the county seat of Wayne County, a city of roughly 33,000 people in eastern North Carolina. It’s not a huge metro area. When something like this happens, people feel it. The school lockdown at Goldsboro High School added another layer of anxiety to an already disturbing situation. Parents were alarmed to learn a murder suspect had been attending classes, sitting in a chair, raising his hand, acting like any other teenager, while police were building a case against him.
The fact that one of the suspects is 12 years old makes this case almost impossible to process. A sixth or seventh grader, facing a murder charge and weapons offenses. It forces uncomfortable questions that don’t have easy answers. How did this happen? Who, if anyone, failed this kid before things got to this point? And what does accountability even look like for someone that young?
The Investigation Is Still Active
Goldsboro police have made it clear that the investigation is ongoing. That means more details could emerge in the coming weeks, whether about the circumstances of the shooting, additional suspects or witnesses, or the chain of events that led to a stolen firearm ending up in the hands of a child. Both suspects are in custody, and neither name has been released. The legal process is just beginning.
For now, what we’re left with is a grim set of facts. A man is dead. Two boys, one barely past elementary school age, are locked up and facing the most serious charge the justice system can bring. A community is asking hard questions. And a case that started with a ShotSpotter alert on a Wednesday night in Goldsboro is now testing the limits of how North Carolina handles its youngest and most serious offenders.