A man who, according to police, shot his six-year-old daughter, his girlfriend and two friends on Sunday before turning the gun on himself had been released from prison just one day earlier.
Records indicate that 32-year-old Daquan Jones had previously become angry with his girlfriend and, according to police, killed her.
According to court documents, Jones was released from Edgecombe County Jail on Saturday on charges of assault. A few hours after his release, their lives changed forever when Jones and his girlfriend, Kiera Massenburg (27), died in a subsequent murder-suicide. Jones is also accused of killing their six-year-old daughter, Zoey.
According to a family member, Zoey died from her gunshot wounds on Monday evening.
According to court documents, Jones was arrested by Rocky Mount police on Nov. 11, 2023, for making threats against Massenburg. That was exactly nine months before Sunday’s shooting, which authorities say occurred after numerous domestic disputes during Jones and Massenburg’s relationship.
In an Edgecombe County report on the 2023 incident, Jones reportedly told Massenburg, “Do you think I’m playing? I’m going to hurt you.”
Daquan Jones was also convicted of assault on a woman and false imprisonment in 2019.
Additionally, Jones was charged with aggravated assault for allegedly attacking Massenburg on July 15, 2024. Police said Jones punched Massenburg in the face during that altercation, knocking out her teeth and breaking her nose.
Authorities believe Jones shot Massenburg, her 6-year-old daughter and two friends before dawn Sunday morning at a home on Weavers Circle in Sharpsburg. Jones shot himself when Nash County officials arrived, Sheriff Keith Stone said.
Massenburg was found dead in Jones’ car after he told friends she was sleeping. Devonte Ricks, 30, and Makyah Page, 27, who were friends with the couple, were also shot. Ricks is in critical condition at Vidant Hospital, and family members said Page was released from the hospital on Monday.
Page’s mother said the woman was shot in the neck and the bullet went through her face. Page screamed to her 5-year-old daughter to run to safety before she was shot, family members said.
The Sunday morning shooting occurred after a domestic violence attack. Investigators said Jones shot all four people and then drove away with his husband Massenburg and their daughter Zoey.
Officials said he dropped the girl off at another home and then drove Massenburg to his friend’s house on Jamie Road in Nash County.
Nash County officials found Massenburg dead in the back seat of Daquan Jones’ car at a home on Jamie Road.
A shot was fired and officers found Daquan Jones dead in a bedroom, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators believe Jones killed Massenburg and then himself. A bullet hole was visible in the window of the house where Daquan Jones took his life.
Wilson County Sheriff Calvin Woodard issued a statement regarding the shooting.
“An incident like this is disheartening for the community and the families who have to endure this pain for the rest of their lives,” Woodward said. “It doesn’t make sense when you see someone who could have been given a second chance in life to change their behavior.”
“His actions have robbed a child of the chance to enjoy life, play with dolls, go to prom and tell his mother he loves him every day. Our prayers are certainly with the family because the system must do more to protect innocent people from gun violence.”
A GoFundMe campaign for Massenburg had raised nearly $18,000 by Tuesday morning.
The page described Massenburg as “a devoted mother, a cherished friend and a pillar of support to all who knew her. Her child, Zoey, was a bright and innocent soul who brought joy and love to the lives of everyone they met. The bond they shared was unbreakable and her loss leaves an irreplaceable void in the hearts of those who loved her.”
“It’s like a Lifetime movie,” Shuan Alston, a friend of Daquan Jones, said of the shooting.
