Third suspect sought in fatal northeast Raleigh shooting

Police on Friday said they are looking for a third suspect in a Northeast Raleigh shooting that took the life of 20-year-old Taheem Ivory Lassiter.

Homicide detectives have obtained an arrest warrant charging Xavier Dawu Murrell, 19, with murder, Laura Hourigan, a police spokeswoman reported Friday afternoon.

Investigators warned that Murrell should be considered armed and dangerous, Hourigan said.

Arrest warrants made public this week after police made two arrests in the case indicate Lassiter's shooting death Tuesday night on Pebble Beach Drive was fueled by a drug robbery.

Cresyan Tyrek Scurlock, 18, was arrested Wednesday and charged with robbing Lassiter of $160 worth of marijuana and conspiring with Eric Lamont Dillard and Murrell to do it. Dillard, 19, of Rose Lane, was arrested and charged with robbing Lassiter of marijuana and conspiracy.

Lassiter died at WakeMed Hospital, where he was rushed after police found him shot in the 4900 block of Pebble Beach Drive, the same block where he lived.

Reports of gunfire are not uncommon at the apartment complex where the shooting happened. Lassiter was found near a group of mailboxes there.

Another person was shot in the 4900 block in January 2016, but survived. Two people were charged in that case.

Investigators are asking that anyone who may know Murrell's current whereabouts to call Raleigh CrimeStoppers at 919-834-HELP or visit RaleighCrimeStoppers.org for text and email reporting options. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards for anonymous tips that help solve cases.

This story was originally published August 4, 2017 at 7:01 PM with the headline "Third suspect sought in fatal northeast Raleigh shooting."