HICKORY, N.C. — A homicide investigation is underway after Hickory police found a man dead inside an SUV in the parking lot of Tabernacle Baptist Church Daycare.
Police discovered Mason Cole Pridemore, 22, of Hickory, shot to death at about 10 p.m. Thursday inside the SUV at 1405 19th Ave. NE.
“Yesterday evening around four or five he stopped by to give me a hug,” said the victim’s grandmother, Sharon. “He just said he loved us.”
Sharon said she saw Mason five hours before police got a 911 call that someone was found dead inside the car that was still running.
A worker from Marco’s Pizza spotted it and called 911.
“He saw the car move to the parking lot behind us at Tabernacle and it was running for about two or three hours and the guy didn’t move and the car was still on,” said Marco’s manager Justin Grzegorczyx. “So, he went over and checked on him.”
Police said when they arrived, Pridemore was dead from an apparent shooting. His SUV has been moved to a secure lot at police headquarters to be analyzed.
Police are not releasing a motive in the case. His grandmother doesn’t know why anyone would want to hurt Pridemore.
“One of my babies is gone,” she said. “I would like to know why.”
Investigators are looking at surveillance video from Marco’s Pizza and the church.
They don’t believe there is a connection to the church. No one is in custody.
No additional details have been made available.
This is a developing story.
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