CHARLOTTE — If you’ve watched Channel 9 in the past month, there’s no doubt you’ve seen a pro-Michael Whatley ad by the Senate Leadership Fund. It features Ronald Hayes from Charlotte.
“My son was murdered two and a half years ago here in Charlotte,” Hayes said in the ad. “A coward walked up and got into the passenger side of his car, shot him five times in the face. As the governor, Mr. Cooper was allowing these criminals back on the streets.”
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As of this week, a pro-Roy Cooper ad started airing that also features Hayes.
“After [the Whatley ad] ran, the dad came forward saying they used me, they were deceitful, making him believe he was in a gun violence ad,” the ad stated.
Hayes has been outspoken about the death of his son, Shemar. Hayes was a featured speaker at a CMPD event. He wrote books about his grief.
Police say Shemar Hayes was shot and killed by Tyzavian Smith in March 2024. Smith was not on the list of inmates released by a Cooper-era COVID-19 settlement.
So how did Hayes end up in the pro-Whatley ad, and why is he now disavowing it?
It all started with a flyer that was posted in a homicide victim family support group. That’s how the SLF was connected to Hayes. The flyer says to share your thoughts about the 3,500 let out of prison by Roy Cooper.
Hayes tells Channel 9 he participated because he wanted his son’s picture shown and for people to know what happened to him. He also told Channel 9 that he is opposed to 3,500 people being released from prison because of COVID.
But he says he wasn’t expecting the conversation to turn to politics, and he claims he was told to say “Roy Cooper” in his answers.
After shooting the ad, Hayes signed a release form for participating. It stated he won’t paid for it and waived his right to approve it before use.
While he wasn’t shown the ad during the editing process, text messages provided by SLF show Hayes was sent the final copy the day before it aired, and he was asked to approve an anti-Roy Cooper quote that would be sent out in a press release. The message shows he approved of the quote.
After the pro-Whatley ad started airing, Hayes claimed he was misled. He says he reached out to Roy Cooper’s campaign and he plans to meet with him. He also plans to vote for him.
He says he regrets ever participating.
“I’m just an everyday person here in Charlotte, and all I wanted to do was to talk about my son, talk about gun violence, and to market my books,” he said. “How did I get into a political race with these two major people that’s running for Senate, and I’m not even a politician?”
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