Emir Moore was killed around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, during an incident at Unhinged, a bar on North Front Street in downtown Wilmington.
Investigators with the Wilmington Police Department, along with the State Bureau of Investigation and the Pender County Sheriff’s Office, have now arrested 29-year-old Trayquan Maleak Hasty, who is charged with felony first-degree murder, as well as a misdemeanor concealed weapon charge.
Law enforcement officials not authorized to speak on the record told WHQR that Hasty was known to be the shooter, but said it took authorities some time to track him down. According to records from the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office, Hasty was arrested on Wednesday evening at the location of a former bar and club in Castle Hayne, not far from the Pender County line.
Hasty is currently being held without bond and is expected to make his first court appearance today.
WPD says the investigation remains active and ongoing, and asks anyone with information related to the shooting to contact them or submit tips anonymously through Tip 411.
Family members have told WHQR they are devastated by Emir Moore’s death. They say he was not the intended target of the shooting, but was killed after he tried to protect someone else.
Moore’s family has launched a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral expenses.
