Carolina Heat: A Gunman, a Gas Station, and a Deadly Final Stop
A North Carolina community is reeling after three people were killed in a series of shootings on Friday, Jan. 10, 2025. Paula and Anthony Gribble, aged 76 and 80, were found fatally shot in their Greenville home, along with their neighbor Enrique Reyes, 64, a retired biology professor. David Lever, 55, has been arrested and charged with three counts of murder in connection with the killings.
A Son's Heartbreaking Discovery
T.D. Gribble, 51, last saw his parents on Jan. 9, the day before their deaths. He had returned from a trip to Jacksonville, North Carolina, where he was urged by friends to hug his parents. He did just that, embracing his mother Paula and kissing his father Anthony on the forehead. "The next time I saw them was Friday afternoon around 2 p.m., after they'd been murdered," T.D. told NBC News.
On Jan. 10, Paula reportedly called T.D., who lived next door, to alert him that Lever was at their home. When T.D. arrived, he discovered his parents had been fatally shot. Lever, the suspected shooter, was still on the property. T.D. confronted Lever, ordering him to raise his hands while keeping his hand on his holstered gun. "He maintained composure and begged for the dispatcher to send a sheriff with lights and sirens," T.D.'s wife, Dana Gribble, told NBC News. "He said, 'Please send them fast.'" When deputies arrived, Lever was taken into custody without incident.
The Victims
Paula and Anthony Gribble were remembered as extraordinary individuals deeply committed to their family, faith, and community. Paula, a retired nurse, spent nearly four decades working at Coastal Carolina Community College, where she rose from nursing instructor to division chair. "Her commitment to her profession, her college community, and most certainly her students was, in my opinion, unsurpassed," the college's president said in a statement to NBC News.
Anthony, a Marine Corps veteran, served seven tours in Vietnam as part of a reconnaissance unit. He earned multiple Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star for combat valor. In his later years, he became frail due to his injuries, but his son remembers him and Paula as "exceptional people" who were devoted to their family and church, as reported by NBC News.
Enrique Reyes, who lived on the same street as Lever, was found in his driveway with multiple gunshot wounds. Reyes retired in 2022 after 17 years as a professor of biology at East Carolina University. "He was living the life that he wanted to. It's just so sad," said David Chalcraft, chair of ECU's biology department to WITN, NBC News reports.
A Series of Shootings
Authorities said Lever allegedly carried out a series of shootings across Greenville on Jan. 10, beginning at a gas station and ending with the murders of the Gribbles and Reyes. No one was injured in the earlier shootings, but search warrants revealed Lever had a cache of weapons and ammunition in his home and van.
According to warrants obtained by WITN, Lever allegedly confessed to killing the Gribbles when confronted by T.D. Investigators have not disclosed a possible motive, though warrants indicate Lever previously worked as a real estate broker for the Gribbles.
Legal Proceedings
Lever, who was arrested on Jan. 11, appeared in court on Jan. 13 and was assigned a public defender. He remains in custody without bail.
As the investigation continues, the families of Paula and Anthony Gribble and Enrique Reyes are left mourning their loved ones and searching for answers in the wake of this senseless tragedy. Their stories stand as a testament to the lasting mark they made on their community, and a reminder of the importance of coming together in the face of tragedy. This case is a grim reminder of the unpredictability of violence and the far-reaching pain it leaves in its wake.
References: Son Who Held Parents' Alleged Murderer at Gunpoint Opens Up About Their Last Moments Together: Report | Victims' son who confronted triple murder suspect until officials arrived recalls last visit with parents | Greenville community remembers retired ECU professor who was murdered
