By Nathan Hardin
nhardin@salisburypost.com
KANNAPOLIS — Jason Michael Sides walked out of E-Z Stop Convenience Store on Wright Avenue at 9:15 p.m. Tuesday night just seconds before being gunned down on Central Drive.
According to Jihyun Roh, manager at E-Z Stop, 701 Wright Ave., Sides was a frequent customer who usually came into the store in the evenings. Roh said Sides bought five Natural Ice beers and a pack of cigarettes just before being shot and killed at 2099 Central Drive.
“He was a quiet person,” Roh said. “He didn’t talk a lot.”
According to Kannapolis Police, the communications dispatch received a call about the shooting at 9:21 p.m. The caller said a man was lying in the roadway and it appeared that he had been shot.
Officers found Sides in the roadway with a gunshot wound to his upper body. Emergency medical personnel also arrived and performed life saving measures. Their attempts were unsuccessful.
Employees at P&E Machine said they heard a loud noise, but didn’t see anyone. Neighbors on Central Drive also heard the gunshot, but it remains unclear if the gunman was on foot or in a vehicle.
Jonathan Sides said he and his child used to play basketball with Jason. “He was a good person, ya know,” Jonathan said. “We ain’t never had no problem. He didn’t have any real enemies.”
Jonathan would not comment on the investigation, but said the shooting was “unexpected” and that there wasn’t anything “out of the ordinary.”
“It was an everyday routine,” Jonathan said about Sides’ evening trips to E-Z Stop.
Sides’ sister, Melissa, said he lived in the neighborhood for more than 10 years. “He had a heart of gold. He was devoted to his family,” Melissa said. “He was a good father, son and brother.”
Melissa said Sides had a 14-year-old son, Michael. She has custody of the teenager.
“He liked to watch old movies, play video games,” she said. “He loved to be outside.”
The Kannapolis Police Felony Investigation Unit is working the investigation, completing evidence collection and interviewing witnesses. Kannapolis Police Lt. Terry Spry said Wednesday night he was not in a position to comment further on the investigation.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call 704-920-4000 or Cabarrus County Crime Stoppers at 704-932-7463. A reward is available for anyone providing information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the suspect or suspects in this case.