Nationwide — Cayden Alston Arnold, a 15-year-old African American teen from Raleigh, North Carolina, was shot and killed at his home following a dispute over a pair of jeans he was trying to sell. Another teen, whom he considered a friend, allegedly opened fire after refusing to pay during the exchange.
Cayden’s father, CJ Alston, said his son had arranged to sell jeans when two boys arrived at their Raleigh home on Friday morning. He said Cayden had been told the night before not to have anyone over while he was on punishment.
According to WLBT, the father said the situation escalated when the group argued over payment. One teen allegedly refused to pay, while Cayden refused to give up the jeans without receiving money, and the disagreement quickly turned violent.
CJ said everything unfolded fast inside the home. He said Ring doorbell timestamps show the teens arrived around 11:36 a.m., with police arriving roughly 15 minutes later. He also said footage appeared to show the boys acting suspicious outside the house before the shooting.
He described a chaotic scene after the gunfire, saying Cayden ran through the home while trying to clean his own blood, leaving marks throughout the rooms. The father said that image has stayed with him.
“I just hate that Cayden was trustworthy with them boys, and I wish he would have just listened to what I told him,” he said.
Now left with memories and photographs, CJ said his son’s presence is what he misses most. “What I’ll miss most is his face and talking to him. Cayden was my only kid,” he said, urging young people to stay away from guns.
Police have filed a juvenile petition against the suspected shooter. The suspect’s identity has not been released because of his age.
The family has also started a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses. It has so far raised nearly $9,000.