ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (WAVY) — Two shootings that injured two people about a mile away from one another and took place about eight hours apart last Saturday have shaken up residents in Elizabeth City.
The area of Weeksville Road near the south end of Elizabeth City State University is where the first of two shootings happened around 2:20 p.m.
Police are looking at video nearby as part of the investigation, and they have recovered several shell casings. They said 38-year-old Andre Cherry was hit by one of the shots. He is now out of the hospital.
Another shooting about eight hours later, and a mile away, in the area of Cahoon Street and Butlers Lane, frightened neighbors and left many bullet holes. Police responding to that shooting initially responded to a shot-fired call in the area of Tatem Lane, later learning the shooting took place around Cahoon Street and Butlers Lane.
“I was laying in bed about 10:30 when I heard some shots — pow, pow, pow, pow, pow,” said a neighbor who did not want to be identified. “I rolled over on the floor and just crawled to my son’s room [to] see if he’s alright.”
This neighbor lives right across from where rapid gunshots rang out. She said the shooter disappeared quickly. Cops came swarming in minutes later, finding 30-year-old Jarontae Chamblee with a gunshot wound. Like the first victim, he too is out of the hospital.
This neighbor is concerned with the fact that whoever is responsible is still out there.
“Didn’t know what was going on, what was happening,” she said. “It sounded like firecrackers, but then, you realize that’s a gun shooting — somebody shooting.”
The shooter was standing in the backyard of another neighbor. There, investigators were seen spraying a mark of paint for each bullet casing they found. There were well over a dozen casings, with enough bullet holes to prove it. Gunshots went through homes, a truck and a shed. One went straight through the bathroom wall.
The neighbors want the shooter to know that they do not want this happening at their own homes, as they consider what would have happened if they were sitting in the wrong room at the wrong time.
Police are asking anyone with information about the shooting to reach out to them at 252-335-4321 or the Crime Line at 252-335-5555.