Harley Alexander Shirley, the 21-year-old son of Lizard Lick Towing star Ron Shirley and known to family as “Big Shur,” was shot and killed on February 17, 2022, in Johnston County, North Carolina, by two teenage Nine Trey Bloods gang members who fired 20 rounds into a parked car. Both shooters have now been sentenced, one to life with the possibility of parole after 40 years and the other to roughly 29 to 37 years, and three additional people have been charged as accessories or with obstruction.
What Happened on Josephine Road
Alex Shirley and several friends were parked on Josephine Road the evening of February 17, 2022, after attending a balloon release for Xavier Smith, a peer who had died in a car crash near Fuquay-Varina days earlier.1WMBF News. Son of Lizard Lick Towing Star Killed in NC Shooting Two teenagers walked up to the vehicle and opened fire, putting 20 rounds into the back of the car. Shirley, sitting in the back seat on the driver’s side, was the intended target and was killed.2CBS 17. Garner Teen Sentenced in Deadly Johnston County Shooting of Reality TV Star’s Son
Sophie Catherine Hagy, a 20-year-old friend seated next to him, was struck twice in the back and left permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Prosecutors said she was not an intended target.3WANE. Second Shooter Sentenced in Murder of Reality TV Star’s Son Three others were in the vehicle. One had non-life-threatening injuries; two were unhurt. Witnesses saw men flee in a yellow passenger car.
The Two Shooters and Their Sentences
Investigators identified the gunmen as Joshua Christopher Stewart, then 17, and Nathan Christopher Jackson, then 16, both suspected members of the Nine Trey Bloods. Both were charged as adults.3WANE. Second Shooter Sentenced in Murder of Reality TV Star’s Son
Jackson took the case to trial. A jury at the Johnston County Courthouse in Smithfield convicted him after a two-week trial of first-degree murder, attempted murder, two counts of felony discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle resulting in serious bodily injury, and three additional counts of felony discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle.2CBS 17. Garner Teen Sentenced in Deadly Johnston County Shooting of Reality TV Star’s Son On December 4, 2024, he received consecutive terms of 15 years to 18 years and 8 months plus life imprisonment with the possibility of parole. Because he was 16 at the time, he must serve 40 years before becoming eligible for parole, which prosecutors described as the maximum allowed under North Carolina law for a juvenile defendant.4WRAL. Nathan Jackson Sentenced in Lizard Lick Towing Shooting
Stewart pleaded guilty on September 6, 2023, to second-degree murder and attempted murder under a plea agreement that required him to testify against Jackson.5News & Observer. Johnston County Man Sentenced for Murder, Attempted Murder Johnston County Superior Court Judge Thomas H. Lock sentenced him on July 11, 2025, to two consecutive terms of 18 to 22 years and 8 months, and 11 years and 9 months to 15 years and 2 months, for a combined sentence of roughly 29 to 37 years.6CBS 17. 2nd Teen Shooter Sentenced in Murder of Reality TV Star’s Son in Johnston County
Senior District Attorney Jason Waller said Sophie Hagy “very courageously testified both at trial and during the sentencing phase,” and called her account central to the conviction.7JoCoReport. Gang Member Convicted for Shooting That Killed One Man, Paralyzed Victim’s Friend At Stewart’s sentencing, Hagy’s father, Jeff Hagy, told the defendant: “I can’t forgive you, ‘cuz’ … because I don’t feel [anything anymore] but anger.”8WRAL. Lizard Lick Gunman Sentenced in Clayton
Three Others Charged
Cassidy Lorene Hunter, 21, was charged with accessory after the fact shortly after the shooting, and Diana Sarah Jackson, 38, was charged with obstructing justice.9KARK. 4th Arrest Made in Killing of Lizard Lick Towing Star’s Son
A fifth suspect, 21-year-old Keivon Jaqual Nicholson, was arrested in Philadelphia in June 2025 and charged with accessory after the fact of murder. He was extradited and booked into the Johnston County Detention Center on July 21, 2025, on a $150,000 secured bond.10JoCoReport. 5th Person Arrested in Lizard Lick Shooting
Why Alex Shirley Was Targeted
Prosecutors said Shirley was the intended target but offered limited public explanation. Early in the investigation, authorities said they were “unclear on a motive.”1WMBF News. Son of Lizard Lick Towing Star Killed in NC Shooting At trial, the state described the attack as an unprovoked act by gang members who approached the parked car and fired without warning. No evidence of a robbery or prior dispute between the victims and the shooters was introduced publicly.11Law & Crime. Gang Member Learns Fate in Shooting That Killed Son of Lizard Lick Towing Star Waller called the violence “senseless” and said such acts “cannot, and will not, be tolerated in our community.”5News & Observer. Johnston County Man Sentenced for Murder, Attempted Murder
Ron Shirley and the “Big Shur” Tribute
Ron Shirley, whose family became known through the truTV series Lizard Lick Towing about their Wendell, North Carolina, repossession business, mourned his son in a Facebook post that gave the case one of its most repeated lines. “He’s at peace now — waiting on the rest of us to arrive at those gates — we will be there soon Big Shur — and will always cherish the times we had while you were with us son,” he wrote.12News & Observer. Lizard Lick Towing Star’s Son Killed in NC Shooting The nickname “Big Shur” became the shorthand by which family, friends, and media referred to Alex in the coverage that followed.
Describing the shooting, Shirley said: “They were just sitting there talking, and next thing they know a yellow car is beside them. And a minute or two later, there was a hail of 20 plus shots … and that was it.” He said he used his social media following to circulate information about the suspects, and investigators credited that effort with helping identify them. Asked what he would say to those responsible, he replied: “If I could say anything to them at all — it would be I don’t hate you, but I don’t know if I can forgive you.”13WRAL. Ron Shirley Speaks on Son’s Death Alex’s uncle, Jason Shirley, offered a $25,000 reward for information in the days after the killing.1WMBF News. Son of Lizard Lick Towing Star Killed in NC Shooting