Lance Cpl. Daniel Montano, a 21-year-old U.S. Marine stationed at Camp Lejeune, was fatally stabbed during a chaotic brawl in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, early Sunday, April 5, 2026. Police responded to multiple fights around 2 a.m. in the 100 block of North Front Street, where they found Montano bleeding heavily. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Division and is remembered by his family as a devoted Marine. Authorities have released surveillance images of a person of interest, described as an adult Black male, and are seeking information from anyone who was in the area between midnight and 3 a.m. The Wilmington Police Department defended its officers' response to the fluid and dangerous situation.