Two people were shot in Southern Pines Sunday around 8 p.m. with one victim in critical condition.
Southern Pines Police “determined there were two crime scenes, including one at Rothney Ave. and Richards St.”
The victims fled the scene of the shooting in a pickup truck and pulled into the parking lot of O’Reilly Auto Parts on U.S. Highway 1. One victim with a gunshot wound to the hand fled the scene before authorities arrived.
Emergency crews removed a white male victim from the vehicle with a gunshot wound to the chest. AirCare was called but was unable to fly due to the weather. The victim was taken to Moore Regional Hospital. His condition is unknown at this time. The other people in the truck were not injured.
It is believed this incident was not a random act of violence, according to the police.
The truck remained on the scene with crime tape around it, and investigators could be seen examining the vehicle. The truck had heavy damage from gunfire with windows being shot out and the front tire flat.
Sandhills Sentinel spoke to several residents in the area where the shooting occurred, and they reported hearing a large round of shots fired.
The suspects are at large. If you know who the suspects are or have any information regarding this case, please call the Southern Pines Police Department at 910-692-7031 or the Southern Pines Police Department’s Crime Tip Line at 910-693-4110.
~Article and photos by Sandhills Sentinel Publisher B.J. Goodridge.
