By Jessie Burchette
jburchette@salisburypost.comA man with ties to Concord and Salisbury is being sought in the attempted murder of a Salisbury teenager in what police describe as a gang-related shooting.
A warrant has been issued charging Jerome Van Collins Jr. with attempted first-degree murder in the shooting of Anthony Brian Smyre, 17, of Proctor Drive, Monday afternoon.
Collins’ last known address was Concord, but police say his mother recently lived on South Shaver Street.
Police believe he may be traveling in a 1999 blue Dodge Durango with license plate YPZ-1891.
Collins is also wanted on weapons charges in New York.
Smyre, Collins and a third person police declined to identify, were walking down Old Plank Road ó off Brenner Avenue ó when the shooting occurred around 4:15 p.m. Monday.
Smyre was shot in the neck and torso by multiple gunshots from a small caliber pistol.
Chief Mark Wilhelm said Smyre was conscious and able to talk to police at the scene.
The third person on the scene also talked to police.
Wilhelm declined to elaborate on what police were told.
He said the shooting was gang-related, indicating that all three are members of the Bloods.
Smyre was taken to Regional Medical Center and later transferred to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte. The hospital had no information on his condition today.
Anyone with information on Collins’ whereabouts should contact Salisbury Police at 704-638-5333 or 1-866-639-5245.
The shooting is the third gang-related shooting incident in recent months.
On Sunday, Nov. 15, a church bus from First Calvary Baptist Church got caught in crossfire near Civic Apartments.
Although the bus was struck by bullets, no one was hurt.
Riders said as many as six people were exchanging gunfire.
Police have not identified any suspects or made arrests.
On Nov. 19, three people were wounded in a house on South Jackson Street as they exchanged gunfire.
Dennis Alexander, 24, of Gold Hill Circle, sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was in a Winston-Salem hospital for several weeks.
Darryl Sylvester Price, 19, of 1210 W. Horah St., and Raylin LaShawn Woodruff, 18, of 1333 Standish St., also sustained wounds. They were treated and released at Rowan Regional Medical Center.
Price and Woodruff told police Alexander came in the house shooting. Alexander has since told police a different version of what happened.
No arrests have been made.