‘He’s very fearful’: Gaston County woman says man was killed in front of his child
Police said 25-year-old De’Mallon White was killed in his apartment over the weekend.
GASTONIA, N.C. (WBTV) - A Gaston County mother is pleading for help to find the men who killed her son over the weekend.
Police said 25-year-old De’Mallon White was shot in his apartment on Pebblestone Way in Gastonia on Sunday morning.
A witness told officers that two to three people fled the scene. White’s mother, TaWanda Stephens, said that witness was her 5-year-old grandson, his son.
“D loved to dance, and now he’s dancing for eternity,” his mother said. “They killed his body, but they didn’t kill his soul. They killed his body but they did not kill his soul.”
Stephens said her faith has guided her through losing her son, who was baptized just last month on Easter Sunday. She said he was re-dedicating his life to God when the tragedy struck.
“I thank God for that,” his mother said. “That gives me joy, I’m going to live to see him again.”
The boy’s grandmother said that while her family is still angry over the loss of White, they’re also very aware of the impact his death will have on his young son.
“They killed him, and his son is standing there, right there with his father’s blood at his feet,” Stephens said. “He’s very fearful, he’s not sleeping as well at night. We bought a weighted blanket to help. He asked today could he buy a cake so his daddy could have it in Heaven.”
Even in the midst of the pain and grief, Stephens has hope that answers will come and those who killed her son will face what’s deserved.
“We’re praying for justice, that these people won’t rest,” she said. “I pray for their souls. I pray that they are so convicted that they aren’t able to rest, that they would come forward. I have no doubt that justice will prevail.”
Despite Stephens’ hopes, a spokesperson for the Gastonia Police Department said Wednesday night that so far, there have been no new leads since Sunday, and they are still actively seeking information from the public.
Related: Man killed in shooting near Gastonia apartment complex identified
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