LUMBERTON (AP) ó Investigators were hoping the North Carolina middle school principal who was shot in the face while driving to work will be able to talk to them this week.
Robeson County Sheriff Kenneth Sealey said detectives weren’t able to talk to James Hunt last week, but may be able to have a conversation soon, The Fayetteville Observer reported Tuesday.
Hunt had surgery last week for injuries to his face and couldn’t talk well. He also was hit in the hand by the shotgun blast that blew out windows of his white Jeep Cherokee.
“We were not able to talk to him after his surgery,” Sealey said. “He was heavily medicated and we couldn’t talk to him. If the doctor gives us the clearance to talk to him, we will do it this week.”
Sealey said the investigation is his department’s priority. The State Bureau of Investigation also is working on the case. Sealey said detectives spent Monday following leads that were reported to the department.
The 26-year-old Hunt, a former Marine, was shot last Thursday about 7:30 a.m. as he drove on a rural road to work at Fairmont Middle School in the largely rural county in southeastern North Carolina. Hunt was able to turn around and drive himself about 15 miles to Southeastern Regional Medical Center in Lumberton. He was flown to Duke University Medical Center in Durham.
Authorities said the vehicle involved in the shooting may have been a medium-tan, early 2000 model extended cab pickup truck. They said the truck could be a Nissan, Mazda or a Toyota.
Hunt became principal at Fairmont Middle School on July 1. He started his education career in January 2002 as a teacher at Lumberton Junior High School.
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Information from: The Fayetteville Observer, http://www.fayobserver.com