BLADENBORO, NC — Charges against a Bladenboro man have been upgraded to first-degree murder following the death of a victim shot earlier this week on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.
The Bladenboro Police Department announced Friday, Oct. 23, that Mario Gillespie passed away from injuries sustained in the Oct. 19 shooting in the 800 block of MLK Drive. Gillespie had been airlifted to Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington following the attack, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Shortly after the incident on Monday, police arrested Joseph Allen Banner Jr.. Banner was initially charged with:
-
Attempted First-Degree Murder
-
Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon
Following confirmation of Gillespie’s death, law enforcement formally upgraded Banner’s primary charge to First-Degree Murder on Friday.
Court documents indicate that Banner was found in possession of a .40-caliber Glock handgun at the time of his arrest. State records show Banner was previously convicted of Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell, and Deliver Cocaine in Robeson County Superior Court in 1996, serving six to eight months in prison.
Banner remains held at the Bladen County Detention Center without bond. The Bladenboro Police Department stated that the case remains under active investigation.
All individuals named in this report are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. Charges and case statuses may change as investigations and court proceedings continue.
© 2026 CoastalCarolinaNews.com | Jones Media Partners LLC
No content from this publication may be reproduced, republished, or used for commercial purposes without prior written authorization from Jones Media Partners LLC. For questions or comments call 910.898.2770 or you can reach out via our Contact Page.
Be the first to comment