What initially started as a joyous day for a North Carolina family ended with tragedy after a groom was fatally shot in the presence of his wife and daughter just hours after they got married.
According to WXII, the fatal October 12 incident occurred about 7 hours after 37-year-old Tyrek Burton got married. Police said they suspect the deceased father of four was gunned down as a result of a road rage incident.
His family said the fatal incident was a random one. “What was supposed to be one of the happiest moments of his life and it turned into something tragic,” Tyrek’s sister, Brittany Burton, said.
RELATED STORIES
The incident is said to have occurred after the wedding reception. The victim’s family told police that an unknown person came to the park and claimed that Tyrek had gotten into a traffic incident. The groom was gunned down not too long after, and several people including his wife and daughter witnessed the shooting.
“I don’t understand how somebody that don’t know somebody by a can of paint can just come in and just do that,” Brittany said. “I don’t and I never will.”
Brittany also told ABC7 that her deceased brother was initially heading out of the wedding venue after thinking his new bride had gone home. But Tyrek returned to pick her up after she phoned to let him know she was still at the place.
“He made a U-turn and I guess didn’t see somebody. Cut them off and that person followed him back to the park,” Brittany Burton said.
Tyrek’s family wants whoever killed him to be held accountable. “I demand justice, I demand it, and I don’t want to wait years for it,” Tyrek’s mother, Carolyn Burton, told WXII. “He don’t deserve what he got. He waited 13 years to get his bride and soon as he gets his bride, he can’t even take her home.”
A GoFundMe has since been set up to help raise funds for Tyrek’s family. “On Saturday October 12, 2024 my cousin married the love of his life, on one of the happiest days of his life to tragically be cut short due to road rage that ended in gun violence,” the fundraiser states.
“He was a beloved husband, father of four beautiful girls, brother and friend, known for his generosity, and infectious smile.”
READ ALSO: Omaha groom suffers fatal blood clot and dies an hour after wedding ceremony
