KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. (WAVY) — The mother of the teen boy who was shot to death in the parking lot of the Avalon Fishing Pier last week said her son and the suspect charged with first-degree murder in his death had “bad blood” between them.
Zane Hughes’ mother, Nicole Hassell, came out to the pier Wednesday to remember her son and to talk about the bad blood between the two teens. It’s a shooting that has shaken the Kill Devil Hills community.
“I’ve come out here because one death is too many,” Hassell said. “My son should not have died, but his death will not have been in vain. This isn’t going to happen to somebody else’s child. Nobody should have to feel this feeling that’s not even a feeling.”
But Hassell wants people to remember her son this way:
“Zane lit up every room that he walked into,” she said. “He was goofy. He was funny. He was always right. He was telling me as I was on my way here, ‘Mom, you’re always late.'”
When asked what led to the shooting that killed her son and left Henry Lee Hargis, 16, in juvenile detention facing first-degree murder charges, she said it was issues the two had with one another.
“Yes, there had been bad blood,” she said. “But I think my son had a little bit more honor and integrity to use his hands instead of a weapon, because that’s how he was raised.”
It was also by a gun that he died.
She called it bad blood for a long time and grudges that wouldn’t die — until her son died.
Hassell spoke a lot about the history of Hargis, saying “I’m privy to some of the information [background on what led to the shooting] because of my son’s legal issues with Mr. Hargis.”
She acknowledges her son wasn’t perfect.
“He made his own mistakes,” she said. “But he had the honor to be remorseful for them. I can stand here and tell you certain facts because my son was a minor and I have all the documents that support them.”
There are court documents 10 On Your Side has seen that outline some of the ongoing issues that have been festering for years, the legal issues of the past.
Last Thursday, Hassell said Hargis came hunting for her son at the Avalon Fishing Pier, where she said Hargis was told by someone her son was at the pier.
In an emotional statement, Hassell said “Hargis hunted my son like an animal. He drove around the parking lot. I guess someone made him aware that my son was here. He waited for my son to come off the sand dune and he shot him. Then when my son was down, he shot him multiple times more. He came here hunting for my son.”
10 On Your Side went to get a reaction from the Hargis family, but no one was home except barking dogs.
“Henry Hargis was on the radar for quite awhile,” she said. “The Dare County Sheriff’s Office, the Kill Devil Hills Police Department and the Department of Juvenile Justice were all very aware of Henry’s obsession with firearms.”
She suggested the weapon may have been a homemade Ghost gun, but law enforcement has not confirmed any detail about the weapon used.
The obsession with firearms is based on references to Hargis’ Facebook page, showing Hargis with guns.
The Kill Devil Hills Police Department had no comment due to the restrictions placed on them dealing with juveniles, and the ongoing investigation.
“We currently don’t have any new information to share about the fatal shooting at Avalon Pier beyond what has already been made public,” according to a statement from the town of Kill Devil Hills sent to 10 On Your Side. “… Because Henry Hargis is a juvenile, we are legally prohibited from discussing any previous incidents or law enforcement interactions that may have occurred while he is under the age of 18.
“The only reason we are able to release his name in connection with this current case is because he is being charged as an adult. We understand there is public interest in the background of this case, but we are required to follow state laws that protect the confidentiality of juvenile records. That standard applies to all cases involving minors, regardless of whether they occurred in our jurisdiction. We remain committed to transparency in what we are legally able to share, and we will continue to provide relevant updates about the current investigation as they are appropriate.”
Hargis is scheduled to be in court Tuesday in Kill Devil Hills. Plans for a memorial wake and a service for Hughes are still being planned.
During her prepared remarks, Hassell implored reporters and others to remember her son.
“Zane Thomas Hughes — remember that name, scream that name,” she said. “Stand with me and tell the world who Zane Thomas Hughes is. Nothing can bring Zane back, but his death will prevent more innocent lives from being lost. Zane’s death could have been prevented and should have been.”
Hassell held it together until she got to these words that showed the pain.
“Hold your loved ones and your babies tight and scream their names so the world will remember,” she said, choking back the tears of a mother’s love. “Zane was not only a remarkable young man in life, but an extraordinary, irreplaceable man in death. He was legendary.”
