RALEIGH – Governor Pat McCrory announced Thursday that the State is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the murder of Edward Leon Chamblee, Jr.

In the early morning hours of Sunday, Dec. 27, Chamblee, 43 and a native of Ahoskie, was shot and killed while working part-time as a security guard at Klub Xplosion located at 4950 NC Highway 11 in Oak City (Martin County).

According to a story published in the Dec. 29 edition of this newspaper, Tracy Eley, who owns the nightclub said she had rented the building for a private party on Saturday (Dec. 26) and there were approximately 100 people in attendance.

Eley said that Chamblee, a 1989 graduate of Hertford County High School, had removed several people from the party and was re-entering the nightclub through the front door when several shots were fired, striking the building.

According to a press release from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to the nightclub at approximately 2:40 a.m. on Dec. 27 in reference to a reported shooting. Upon arrival, a shooting victim was located and it was found that the victim was deceased. That victim was later identified as Chamblee.

Chamblee was living in Greenville and was the father of two children.

Martin County Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Lt. Drew Robinson said the entire area was secured and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation was contacted to assist with the investigation and the processing of the scene.

Robinson added that approximately 20 minutes after the initial 911 call, deputies received information that there were two additional shooting victims; one located at Vidant Edgecombe Hospital in Tarboro and the other at Martin General Hospital in Williamston. He said both of those victims were eventually transported to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville.

Any witnesses who were present at Klub Xplosion at the time of the shooting, or anyone who may have information related to the incident, are encouraged to contact the Martin County Sheriff’s Office at 252-789-4500, Martin County Crime Stoppers at 252-792-8800 or the SBI Hotline at 336-209-5201.