By Shavonne Potts
spotts@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — A judge denied a request to reduce the bond of a man in jail facing two counts of attempted murder for a shooting early last month at the Mooresville dragway.
Quentin Odell Mathis, 28, of Mooresville, is accused of shooting two men Courtney S. Davis and Edward L. Stewart, who had both been shot by a small-caliber gun.
Nearly two weeks later, Mathis turned himself in to Charlotte Police.
He is in the Rowan County jail under a $1 million bond.
District Court Judge Charlie Brown denied the bond. It remains set at $1 million.
His attorney, Salisbury’s James Davis, told the court Wednesday his client was not a flight risk, was known in the community and therefore not a threat.
“He has ties to the community. He was born and raised in Iredell County — Mooresville,” Davis said.
He also told the court Mathis has worked in landscaping and has been a truck driver for a number of years.
Davis said Mathis has four children — 7, 4, 3 and 5 months.
He said from his client’s perspective, he was defending himself.
He went to speak to the mother of his child and was “jumped” when he came from the bathroom, Davis said.
A struggle ensued with a few people who brandished handguns and Mathis had to fight off some of these people, the attorney said.
Davis said someone grabbed Mathis from behind and he managed to take a gun from one of them.
He was shot in the process, Davis said.
Investigators believe Mathis actually shot himself in the arm as he reached back to fire at one of the victims.
Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Suneson asked the court to deny a bond reduction.
Suneson said the events as the victims recount are markedly different.
The mother of Mathis’ child was at the dragstrip when he’d already confronted her. The two victims followed her to the bathroom area to protect her.
“He fled to New York after the incident. He did this with children around,” Suneson said.
Some of the witnesses were children and it was crowded, she added.
She said Mathis has a pending assault on a female charge that involves a mother of one of his children.
Both victims still have bullets in their bodies that couldn’t be removed.
Mathis has previously been convicted of drug possession, assault on an officer and multiple vehicle violations.
Contact reporter Shavonne Potts at 704-797-4253.