02/27/2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Edenton, North Carolina – On February 23, 2026 Raymark Bembury 26, of Edenton, NC pled guilty in Chowan County Superior Court to one count of Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill, Inflicting Serious Injury and one count of Possession of a Firearm by a Felon. The plea was the result of a shooting that occurred at the Food Lion store on Virginia Road in Edenton on May 4, 2025 in which Bembury shot and seriously injured Jaquori Wilson, also of Edenton.
Edenton Police Department received multiple 911 calls at approximately 7:00 PM reporting a possible active shooter situation at the Food Lion. When they, along with deputies from the Chowan County Sheriff’s Office arrived, officers secured the scene and determined that it was not in fact an active shooter situation, but rather a confrontation between Bembury, an employee of Food Lion and Wilson who was a customer at the store at the time of the incident. Wilson sustained two gunshot wounds to the chest area and was transported to ECU Health Chowan Hospital by a friend. He was later transported by air to ECU Hospital in Greenville where he was treated further and has since recovered from his injuries. Bembury had been previously convicted of Felony Fleeing to Elude Arrest and was prohibited by law from possessing a firearm at the time of the shooting.
The plea was taken by Resident Superior Court Judge Eula E. Reid of Pasquotank County. The prosecution team was comprised of Assistant District Attorneys Lee Malco and Gregory Wills, and Legal Assistant Megan Haynes.
The defendant was sentenced by Judge Reid to 83 to 113 months in prison for the Assault with a Deadly Weapon with Intent to Kill, Inflicting Serious Injury and 14 to 26 months for Possession of a Firearm by a Felon to run concurrently. Bembury further admitted to violating probation and had his sentence of 6-17 months for Felony Fleeing to Elude Arrest activated. That sentence will run at the expiration of the 83 to 113 month sentence.
District Attorney Jeff Cruden stated “My office will continue to prioritize crimes of violence that occur in our community. We are thankful for our law enforcement partners for the thoroughness of the investigation which resulted in a defendant having one of two choices, plead guilty as charged or be tried. He chose to plead guilty. My sympathies go out to the families that were in Food Lion and witnessed first hand such a violent event.”
