Local News - February 2003

Child injured in shooting; arrest made

By ALICE SMITH and JEREMY ASHTON,  LTN Staff Writers

February 7, 2003 - One person has been arrested in connection with a drive-by shooting Thursday night that sent a 5-year-old girl to the hospital, and police are searching for another occupant of the vehicle.

Robert Lee McAfee, 21, was arrested Thursday night. McAfee was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and discharging a weapon into an occupied property.

Lincolnton police are searching for Fredrick Davon Beam, 24, who is facing the same charges as McAfee.

Beam also has outstanding warrants through the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury for a previous incident.

Police also arrested Darrell Williams, who they say was also in the car at the time, but he was later released and not charged. Charges are pending against Williams in connection with a stolen vehicle.

Reports are unclear if the 5-year-old was hit by a bullet or debris that resulted from the shooting.

Lincoln County EMS officials said they transported the 5-year-old to Lincoln Medical Center in stable condition.

She was supervised overnight for what was possibly a gunshot wound, police said.

Two other people inside the house were not injured, according to reports.

Police responded to a call at 11:36 p.m. for shots fired at 2057 Boggs St. in Lincolnton.

A neighbor said he was startled by the sound of “squalling wheels” and a few minutes later said he heard a “pop, pop, pop.”

He woke up his mother and heard more gunshots. He then heard sirens.

“I saw my neighbor running down here with one of her kids saying one of the kids got shot,” the neighbor said.

After an investigation, police determined the shots were fired from a car, and the shooters were allegedly aiming at Paul Walton Jr., 22, who was walking into the home. Walton was staying with his sister, who lives at that residence.

Walton was arrested two weeks ago by Lincolnton police for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend, but those charges are expected to be dropped by the alleged victim.

Police said that after the call came in, a description of the vehicle occupied by the alleged shooters was sent out through Lincoln County Communications.

An attendant at a convenience store on Riverside Drive was listening to a scanner and heard the description.

Less than 20 minutes later, the attendant noticed the vehicle pull into the parking lot and called 911.

Sheriff’s Deputy Zack Huntley was in the area and saw the vehicle.

Beam and McAfee drove away from the store, leaving Williams inside, police said.

There was a short chase down Riverside Drive and N.C. 27, where the vehicle reportedly wrecked.

McAfee and Beam got out of the vehicle and led Huntley on a foot chase.

Huntley apprehended McAfee, but Beam alluded arrest.

McAfee was charged by the sheriff’s office with a slew of additional violations including a number of misdemeanor traffic offenses, having an open container of alcohol, reckless driving to endanger, eluding arrest with a motor vehicle, resisting public officer, possession of firearm by felon, carrying a concealed weapon, felony possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

McAfee was carrying a .45-caliber pistol.

Officers who arrived to assist Huntley chased Williams on foot and apprehended him. He was later released from custody.

McAfee was being held on a $50,000 secured bond, but Assistant District Attorney Rick Shaffer attempted to raise it during McAfee’s first appearance today.

“There is no other way to put it — there’s a gang war going on,” Shaffer said.

McAfee began to protest, and Judge K. Dean Black sent him to a holding cell.

After a break, bond was raised to $100,000. McAfee’s next court appearance is Feb. 26.

The shooting is the latest in a series of incidents since the slaying of Jacques Shipp in December at the Gentleman’s Choice Barbershop.

Two other drive-by shootings were reported in the next week, and police believed them to be connected to Shipp’s killing.

Walton was arrested for assaulting his girlfriend and driven away from the scene by the brother of Alvin Dwight Fair, who was charged with second-degree murder in connection with Shipp’s death.

In a bizarre twist, Lincolnton police this morning arrested a man for the larceny of a vehicle Thursday.

Ashley Parks was apprehended by detectives Rick Lynn and Brian Greene on Lee Street this morning for allegedly stealing a vehicle belonging to Fred Thomas Mullinax.

The vehicle was parked on Water Street. The keys were left on the console and the vehicle was unlocked, police said.

The vehicle was involved in a hit and run accident at Arney and Benfield Streets, Lt. Dean Abernathy said.

Officers saw two suspects running away from the vehicle and identified one as Parks.

The other suspect was identified as Williams, and charges are pending against him.

© 2001 Lincoln Times-News  

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