US Marine stabbed to death in North Carolina chaotic street brawl, police hunt person of interest

A U.S. Marine was stabbed to decease during a chaotic downtown brawl successful North Carolina aboriginal Sunday, and constabulary released surveillance images showing the idiosyncratic of involvement sought successful transportation to the fatal incident.

Lance Cpl. Daniel Montano, 21, was 1 of 2 men stabbed during the incidental successful Downtown Wilmington and aboriginal died from his injuries, according to the Wilmington Police Department and his family.

Officers responded astatine astir 2 a.m. to reports of aggregate fights successful the 100 artifact of North Front Street successful Wilmington, constabulary said. The area, which is astir 70 miles from Camp Lejeune, is simply a fashionable destination for Marines stationed astatine the East Coast’s largest Marine Corps base.

Video of the constabulary effect that has been circulating online shows officers deploying capsicum spray earlier they brushwood Montano, who was standing, bent implicit and bleeding heavy connected a sidewalk.

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Lance Cpl. Daniel Montano, 21, a U.S. Marine stationed astatine Camp Lejeune, died aft being stabbed during a downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, brawl connected April 5, 2026. The representation was shared connected a GoFundMe leafage created by his family. (GoFundMe)

The video past shows a bystander helping Montano to a obstruction earlier helium collapsed and tried to render assistance arsenic officers approached.

Police said the 2nd antheral stabbing unfortunate initially ran from the country but officers aboriginal recovered him and applied a tourniquet that helped prevention his life.

Montano was assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Division astatine Camp Lejeune, according to his family.

His relatives described him arsenic a devoted Marine and a root of airy successful their lives.

"Daniel proudly served arsenic a United States Marine, assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines Regiment astatine Camp Lejeune. He was not lone dedicated to his country, but besides profoundly loved by his family. To us, helium was much than a Marine — helium was a son, a brother, and idiosyncratic who brought truthful overmuch airy into our lives," his household wrote connected a GoFundMe leafage created to assistance screen ceremonial expenses.

The Wilmington Police Department said it "extends its condolences to Montano’s household and loved ones during this hard time."

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The Wilmington Police Department released surveillance images of a idiosyncratic of involvement successful a downtown stabbing that near Lance Cpl. Daniel Montano, 21, dead. Authorities said the incidental happened during a ample aboriginal greeting brawl connected April 5, 2026. (Wilmington Police Department)

Investigators are searching for a idiosyncratic of involvement seen successful surveillance images released by the department.

Police described him arsenic an big Black antheral with a mean build, wearing a light-colored fleece-lined denim overgarment and jeans, a pinkish garment and achromatic sneakers with bluish and reddish accents. He was besides wearing a acheronian bluish caput covering that appeared to beryllium a durag, with agelong hairsbreadth visible.

Police are asking anyone who was successful the downtown country betwixt midnight and 3 a.m. to travel guardant with information, including photos, videos oregon surveillance footage.

Police successful North Carolina person travel nether scrutiny implicit their response, and the city’s constabulary main defended officers’ actions.

The video shows officers deploying capsicum spray earlier approaching a bleeding unfortunate during the aboriginal greeting incidental successful Wilmington.

Wilmington Police Chief Ryan Zuidema said the footage does not bespeak everything officers faced.

"They person nary thought who is who," Zuidema said during a Wednesday media briefing, according to the Wilmington StarNews. "They don’t cognize who’s a suspect, who’s a victim."

The Wilmington Police Department office successful Wilmington, North Carolina. Police are investigating a downtown stabbing that near a 21-year-old U.S. Marine dormant and are searching for a suspect. (Google Maps)

Zuidema said the concern was fluid and dangerous, with officers trying to find whether suspects were inactive adjacent and whether determination were much victims.

"They’re dealing with trying to measure what’s going connected there," helium said.

The main added that 1 serviceman had been exposed to capsicum spray, portion different called for gloves earlier helping the victim, successful enactment with section protocol. Officers besides called for exigency aesculapian services astatine the scene, helium said.

Authorities person not said what sparked the brawl.

Fox News Digital has requested further remark from the Wilmington Police Department.

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In a abstracted adjacent incidental astir the aforesaid time, a 22-year-old pistillate was stabbed and hospitalized with life-threatening injuries, constabulary said.

Authorities arrested Jazya Muldrow-Green, 20, successful transportation with that lawsuit and charged her with battle with a deadly limb with intent to termination inflicting superior injury.