ROCKWELL — Rowan County authorities are trying to determine what happened at a home on Wind Swept Way after two men said they were victims of an attempted robbery and shooting.

A deputy responded Thursday at 2501 Wind Swept Way after a 911 hang-up call. The deputy spoke with the homeowner, Rodney Hardin, and another man, James Sapp, who was there making repairs to the roof.

Hardin told the deputy that three men showed up at his house to look at vehicles he had for sale. The vehicles were parked in the backyard, said Sheriff’s Office Capt. John Sifford.

There were no known advertisements listing the vehicles, he said.

Sapp told officials he came down from a ladder and approached the men first. The men knocked on the door to get Hardin to come outside. Sapp said they knocked three times and, when Hardin didn’t come to the door, the men said they would return.

The men turned around when Hardin finally came to the door, Sifford said.

They looked at a vehicle and returned to the front yard area. Hardin told the deputy he asked the men to stay outside. He went inside to write down his phone number and one of the men also went inside.

Sapp and Hardin said at some point, someone asked for water to drink. Hardin said he told the men his dishes were dirty. Sapp volunteered to go outside to get bottled water from a cooler in his truck.

Sapp said he heard Hardin say one of the men had a gun and yell for Sapp to get his gun. Sapp told a deputy he heard gunshots and ducked behind his truck.

Hardin told authorities that one of the men said they were “here for the money.” Hardin said two shots were fired. Sapp says he heard two to three gunshots.

Sapp told authorities he saw the men leave in a four-door older model blue Hyundai. Both Sapp and Hardin said they had never seen the men before.

Hardin and Sapp described the men as a white man who was about 6 foot, 1 inch tall with red hair; a black man with a large build and short dreadlocks; and a white man who was 5 feet, 8 inches tall and about 150 pounds.

Contact reporter Shavonne Walker at 704-797-4253.