'They called him a miracle:' Mother says son narrowly survived shooting

Dina Carter has already lost two children — a daughter that died in 1997, and another that died in 2020. On May 16, she nearly lost a third.

Her 19-year-old son, De'Michael Dee, was shot in the Highland community of Gastonia. Dee's friend, Deionte Sparkman, was shot too, and he was killed.

De'Michael Dee, whose most serious bullet wound was in his midsection, narrowly survived. The bullet missed his vital organs.

"They called him a miracle," Carter said.

Another 19-year-old, Ja’Kelon Duval of Belmont, is accused of shooting Dee and Sparkman, while a woman Duval is alleged to have been with, 20-year-old Mary Elizabeth Bentley of Clover, South Carolina, is accused of driving a getaway car. Both are charged with first-degree murder in Sparkman's death. They also face an attempted first-degree murder charge in the shooting of De'Michael Dee.

On Wednesday, De'Michael Dee had a large, white bandage on the right side of his waist. Short and slender, he was briefly present during the interview, but he slipped quietly out of the house, refusing to answer any questions. He is afraid for his life, his mother said.

Carter wanted to talk about the situation May 25 because she wanted people to know certain details of the incident: while Sparkman knew the alleged shooter, De'Michael Dee did not. He was walking Sparkman home when his friend was shot, and Dee ran down the street and dove through his grandmother's back window to escape. His grandfather then drove him to the hospital.

Carter said that after shooting Sparkman and her son, Duval served community service with the Salvation Army on Broad Street, where Carter's mother works.

She said her mother had a conversation with Duval, saying that he looked like someone who would know her grandson. Duval said he didn't know Dee, Carter said. (The Salvation Army said that all information about community service workers is confidential.)

"He could have killed my mom," Carter said, adding that Duval did not appear to have any remorse.

"My son can't sleep at night," Carter said. "My son doesn't want to speak to anyone. My son doesn't want to go to public places."

Carter said that Dee called her after he was shot, saying, "Mom, I've been hit."

Carter said her daughter Porsha died in November 2020. While her death was ruled a fentanyl overdose, Carter is skeptical. She doesn't think her daughter used drugs.

In 1997, another daughter, 4-year-old Ja'Taria, died in a wreck.

For her son to be shot, especially so soon after Porsha's death, was a stunning blow.

"I want to know why he shot my son," Carter said. "I just buried a child, … and now they tried to kill my baby."

Reporter Kara Fohner can be reached at 704-869-1850 or at kfohner@gannett.com. Support local journalism by subscribing here.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Gastonia mother says son narrowly survived shooting