AGAINST THE U.S. THE IMPACT THIS COULD HAVE ON THE MONTHS LONG CEASE FIRE. WE BEGIN WITH BREAKING NEWS OUT OF FORSYTH COUNTY. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE IS DETAILING CHARGES FILED IN A DEADLY SHOOTING OF A WALKERTOWN TEENAGER NEARLY ONE WEEK AGO. INVESTIGATORS SAY JOHN FOWLER JUNIOR IS FACING FOUR COUNTS OF DISCHARGING A FIREARM INTO A HOME. RIGHT NOW, HE IS BEING HELD IN JAIL WITH NO BOND. IN A STATEMENT, SHERIFF BOBBY KIMBROUGH SAYS MORE CHARGES COULD BE FILED. COURT DOCUMENTS SAY FOWLER WAS ARRESTED ON WEDNESDAY IN CONNECTION TO THE DEATH OF 16 YEAR-OLD JADEN TYLER LIVINGSTON. DETECTIVES SAY HE FIRED MULTIPLE SHOTS INTO A HOUSE LAST SATURDAY ON NEW WALKERTOWN ROAD, WHERE JADEN WAS INSIDE. JADEN’S DOG WAS ALSO KILLED IN THE SHOOTING. NOW, 12 INVESTIGATES UNCOVERED TWO OTHER VIOLENT INCIDENTS WHERE FOWLER WAS CHARGED. THEY HAPPENED IN OCTOBER AND DECEMBER OF LAST YEAR. YOU CAN READ THOSE DETAILS RIGHT NOW ON OUR WEBSITE, WXII 12 DOT COM. NOW TO MORE BREAKING NEWS. VIRGINIA SUPREME COURT HAS STRUCK DOWN A DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING PLAN THAT HAD WON VOTER APPROVAL. THE COURT’S DECISION MARKED A MAJOR SETBACK FOR DEMOCRATS IN A NATIONWIDE REDISTRICTING BATTLE. REPUBLICANS AHEAD OF THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS. THE PLAN, APPROVED ON APRIL 21ST BY VOTERS, COULD HAVE HELPED DEMOCRATS WIN UP TO FOUR ADDITIONAL U.S. HOUSE SEATS, BUT THE JUSTICES SAID STATE LAWMAKERS VIOLATED PROCEDURAL REQUIREMENTS WHEN THEY DECIDED TO PUT THE PLAN ON THE BALLOT. ALSO, BREAKING THE CANVAS LEARNING SYSTEM IS BACK ONLINE THIS AFTERNOON AFTER IT WENT DOWN DURING A CYBER ATTACK. THE SYSTEM IS USED BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA. THE HACKING GROUP, NAMED SHINY HUNTERS, CLAIMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BREACH WITH BILLIONS OF PRIVATE MESSAGES AND OTHER RECORDS ACCESSED. SOME SCHOOLS REPORTED A RANSOM NOTE ON THE HOME PAGE OF THEIR CAMPUS SITES. ALL RIGHT. NOW LET’S TURN TO OUR WEATHER AS WE TAKE A LIVE LOOK OUTSIDE FROM OUR CAMERA IN MOCKSVILLE. LOOK AT THAT GORGEOUS VIEW. NOT A CLOUD IN SIGHT. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL FRIDAY. AS WE KICK OFF THIS MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND. METEOROLOGIST MICHELLE KENNEDY JOINS US NOW. MICHELLE, WHAT IS THE REST OF OUR DAY LOOKING LIKE? YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL DAY AHEAD OF US. YOU’RE LOOKING AT THOSE BLUE SKIES OUT THERE. AND INDEED, WE’VE GOT THOSE CHANCES OF SUNSHINE MORE THAN RAIN CHANCES. BUT WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THOSE RAIN CHANCES GOING INTO THE WEEKEND. HIGHS TODAY THOUGH, WARMING NICELY INTO THOSE UPPER 60S. WE’VE GOT SUNSHINE FOR YOU. PLEASANT AFTERNOON CONDITIONS. AND YOU KNOW JUST 48 HOURS AGO THAT WE’RE STARTING TO SEE SOME OF THOSE SHOWERS. SO NICE TO HAVE IT. AND AS WE HEAD INTO THE WEEKEND, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, THERE’S GOING TO BE A CHANCE OF SOME THUNDERSTORMS, ESPECIALLY AS WE GO INTO SUNDAY. BUT REALLY THROUGHOUT TODAY, WE’VE JUST GOT A GORGEOUS AFTERNOON ON THE WAY, 68 TO NEAR 70 DEGREES. BY THE TIME WE END THE DAY. SO WE’RE SEEING OUR HIGHS BETWEEN ABOUT FOUR AND FIVE RIGHT NOW. AND THEN EVENING TEMPERATURES SITTING IN THE 60S. WE TAKE IT DOWN OVERNIGHT BACK INTO THE 50S AND UPPER 40S. OVERALL, JUST A FANTASTIC FORECAST OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS. AND THEN RAIN CHANCES RETURNING. WE DO NEED THE RAIN CHANCES. BEST CHANCE RIGHT NOW. STILL SITTING ONLY AT 30% FOR MONDAY, BUT SOME SCATTERED ACTIVITY DEVELOPING BY YOUR MONDAY MORNING COULD MEAN A WET MORNING COMMUTE. WE’LL HAVE DETAILS AND BREAK DOWN THE HOUR BY HOUR FORECAST. IT’S ALL COMING UP. MICHELLE. THANK YOU. AND THE NORTH CAROLINA FOREST SERVICE LIFTED THE BURN BAN FOR MUCH OF THE PIEDMONT TRIAD THIS MORNING. THE STATEWIDE BAN WAS LIFTED FOR THE OTHER 81 COUNTIES ON MAY 3RD. IT HAD GONE INTO EFFECT ON MARCH 28TH DUE TO HAZARDOUS FOREST FIRE CONDITIONS. FORESTRY LEADERS SAY THE BAN WAS ABLE TO BE LIFTED FOLLOWING THE RECENT RAINFALL WE HAD IN THE AREA. NOW TO CRIME HEADLINES. GREENSBORO POLICE SAY A SUSPECT IN AN ARMED ROBBERY DIED IN A CRASH. OFFICERS WERE CALLED TO THE ROBBERY LAST NIGHT AT THE WALGREENS ON EAST BESSEMER AVENUE. WE’RE TOLD THE SUSPECT SPED AWAY IN AN SUV TOWARDS SUMMIT AVENUE. WHEN OFFICERS TRIED TO PULL THE DRIVER OVER IN A PARKING LOT. WE’RE TOLD THE DRIVER SPED OFF. POLICE SAY NO CHASE HAPPENED. OFFICERS LATER FOUND THE SUV CRASHED ALONG PHILLIPS AVENUE ON THE BRIDGE OVER HIGHWAY 29. THE DRIVER DIED FROM THEIR INJURIES. OFFICERS HAVE NOT RELEASED THE NAME OF THE PERSON KILLED. NOW WE ARE ALSO WORKING TO LEARN THE NAME OF THE PERSON HIT AND KILLED BY A FREIGHT TRAIN IN REIDSVILLE. POLICE SAY IT HAPPENED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON ON THE TRACKS BETWEEN TURNER DRIVE AND ALLISON STREET. OFFICERS FOUND THE PERSON DEAD AT THE SCENE
Father charged after deadly crash that killed two young sons in Davie County, documents reveal
Updated: 6:04 PM EDT May 8, 2026
A father has been charged in connection with a crash that killed his two sons, according to court documents.On May 3, Bradley Smith was driving a Buick Enclave on Sheffield Road, just outside of Mocksville. Smith and his two sons, Noah, 10, and Elijah, 9, were in the car headed to church when the crash happened. Noah died at the scene, and Elijah passed away on Sunday night.According to court records, Smith has been charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle, misdemeanor no operator’s license, three counts of misdemeanor reckless driving to endanger, and four counts of fail to secure a passenger under 16.According to documents, the vehicle Smith was driving crossed the centerline, ran off the road, hit a mailbox and a fence, and overturned. Smith did not have a driver’s license. He has since posted a $25,000 secured bond.WXII’s Chris Petersen spoke with Noah and Elijah’s mother, Paola Antonetti, earlier this week.“They were only 10 and 9. They had a whole life ahead of them. I shouldn’t have to bury my children. I shouldn’t have to,” Antonetti said.Wilkes County Schools officials confirmed that Noah and Elijah were students at North Wilkesboro Elementary School.A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to aid in Noah and Elijah’s funeral costs. You can contribute here. Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscastsNAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love |Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here
A father has been charged in connection with a crash that killed his two sons, according to court documents.
On May 3, Bradley Smith was driving a Buick Enclave on Sheffield Road, just outside of Mocksville. Smith and his two sons, Noah, 10, and Elijah, 9, were in the car headed to church when the crash happened.
Noah died at the scene, and Elijah passed away on Sunday night.
According to court records, Smith has been charged with misdemeanor death by vehicle, misdemeanor no operator’s license, three counts of misdemeanor reckless driving to endanger, and four counts of fail to secure a passenger under 16.
According to documents, the vehicle Smith was driving crossed the centerline, ran off the road, hit a mailbox and a fence, and overturned. Smith did not have a driver’s license.
He has since posted a $25,000 secured bond.
WXII’s Chris Petersen spoke with Noah and Elijah’s mother, Paola Antonetti, earlier this week.
“They were only 10 and 9. They had a whole life ahead of them. I shouldn’t have to bury my children. I shouldn’t have to,” Antonetti said.
Wilkes County Schools officials confirmed that Noah and Elijah were students at North Wilkesboro Elementary School.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to aid in Noah and Elijah’s funeral costs. You can contribute here.
Watch: NOWCAST streaming newscasts
NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Watch NOWCAST TV | Local News | National | News We Love |
Keep up with the latest news and weather by downloading the WXII app here