DA seeks death penalty against men connected with Hickory pub shooting

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — The district attorney announced Monday he plans to seek the death penalty against the two men accused of killing three people outside a Hickory pub.

[PAST COVERAGE: Third person dies after Hickory pub shooting, police say]

Authorities said Dontray Cumberlander, 23, was one of two men who shot four people last month in the parking lot of J. McCroskey's Irish Pub and Grill on 29^th Avenue Northeast.

The victims and the suspects were patrons of the pub and got into an argument in the parking lot, police said. Officials said there is no known connection between the two groups.

(Cody Bouphavong, Quajuae Kennedy, Justin Aiken)

Justin Aiken, 21, of Newton, and Cody Bouphavong, 21, of Conover, died at the scene. Quajuae Kennedy, 21, of Newton, died two days later from her injuries. Cole Ervin, 20, of Claremont, was hurt in the shooting, but survived.

Cumberlander is charged with three counts of murder and one count of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injuries with intent to kill.

Greydon Hansen was also charged in the case. The district attorney has not announced if Hansen will face the death penalty.

Family members of the suspects fought back tears after the men appeared before a judge.

They don't believe they are responsible for the three murders in Hickory.

"He's not going to hurt nobody, Hansen’s wife, Jarica Williams, said.

She talks with him by phone every day in jail.

"He says, ‘That's not me babe,’ and he asked about his kids because that's his family," she said.

The men were found with weapons in their car during a traffic stop in Long View where they were identified and admitted to being at the bar, according to court documents.

Both men are like brothers, family members said.

The suspects will get two attorneys because this is a capital murder case, and they will be back in court in August.

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