STATESVILLE, NC — A devastating incident unfolded on Saturday, August 2, 2025, when 51-year-old Surtonia Burton was fatally shot outside her residence on the 1000 block of Fifth Street.
The Statesville Police Department responded to a 1:30 p.m. emergency call and found Burton suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. She was rushed to a local medical facility by Iredell County EMS, but tragically succumbed to her injuries shortly after arrival.
Following swift investigative efforts, police identified 26-year-old Titeon Breshaun Burton, also a resident of Fifth Street, as the primary suspect in the homicide. At approximately 4:45 p.m., officers located him at a business on Oakland Avenue.
When approached, Burton fled on foot, leading officers to a residence on Broom Street, where he sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound as police closed in. He was pronounced dead en route to the hospital.
Authorities are treating the case as a murder-suicide, and the investigation remains active. The motive behind the shooting has not yet been disclosed. The Statesville Police Department urges anyone with information to contact them at (704) 878-3406, or submit anonymous tips via the “See Something, Say Something” portal.
This tragic event has left the Fifth Street community reeling, as neighbors mourn the loss of Surtonia Burton and grapple with the shock of the violence that unfolded in broad daylight.