Gunfire erupts at Burlington child’s funeral, chase ends in crash, arrests

Grief at Rich & Thompson Funeral Home turned into a crime scene when gunfire broke out outside the Burlington funeral home during services for a 2 1/2-year-old child who had died the week before. Burlington police said the disturbance began after a 911 call reporting a fight at 306 Glenwood Avenue about 2:15 p.m. Saturday, then escalated into a shooting, a high-speed chase and a crash into a home.

Investigators said Trevonte Jaquan McGhee fired multiple rounds from an assault rifle outside the funeral home after the confrontation moved into the parking lot. Police said McGhee and Cazaria Monique Russell then fled in a vehicle, prompting officers to try a traffic stop. During the pursuit, McGhee allegedly threw the rifle from the car before officers recovered and seized it.

The chase ended when the vehicle crashed into a house at 814 Broad Street, according to local reporting. Police said no injuries were reported and there was no ongoing threat to the community, but the violence in a place meant for mourning left a deeply unsettling scene for mourners and nearby residents.

McGhee was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, going armed to the terror of the people, discharging a firearm within city limits, disorderly conduct at funeral homes and leaving the scene of a crash as a passenger. Russell was charged with going armed to the terror of the people, misdemeanor conspiracy, reckless driving and failure to stop at a stop sign or flashing red light.

Court records cited in local reporting said Russell supplied the firearm and drove the getaway car. Officers later identified the weapon as a .300 blackout caliber firearm, and McGhee ran from the crash before being detained. Police said both suspects were being processed through the Alamance County magistrate’s office and the Alamance County Jail, with no bond information available in the release at that time.

Alamance County Crime Stoppers reposted the police release and said anonymous tips could qualify for a cash reward of up to $2,500. The case drew wider attention because it unfolded at a child’s funeral, in a city neighborhood where families gathered for a sacred goodbye and were instead confronted by gunfire, a chase and the wreckage left behind.