Blotter: Shot fired into office building after altercation at convenience store

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, March 16, 2022

SALISBURY — One shot was fired into an office building during an altercation between two men at a convenience store on Sunday.

Police responded to a report of trespassing at Three Stars Mini Mart at 1126 N. Main St around 5:42 p.m. Upon arrival, officers met with a caller who informed them that a shirtless man in the parking lot was bothering multiple people outside the store. The caller also said they heard a single gunshot fired.

Reviewing security footage, officers saw the unknown shirtless male suspect approaching customers who were entering and exiting the mini mart. Another unidentified individual exited the passenger side of a vehicle and pointed a handgun at the shirtless male. The man fired one shot, missing the shirtless male but striking a nearby office building. The office building was closed at the time and no one was inside. The bullet penetrated the outer wall and struck an adjacent wall inside the building, lodging into a door frame. The bullet casing was recovered.

After firing one round, the man with the handgun returned to his vehicle and left the scene. The shirtless individual walked away from the area.

The Salisbury Police Department is investigating the incident.

In Rowan County Sheriff’s Office reports:

A 82-year-old Salisbury woman was scammed out of $2,200 by a caller claiming to be an FBI agent.

The woman received a call last week from a man who introduced himself as an FBI agent. The man informed her she had a warrant for money laundering. Frightened by the claim, the woman listened to the man when he told her to go to CVS, Walgreens and the Circle K gas station on Statesville Boulevard to purchase gift cards. The woman purchased four Target gift cards worth $500 each and four Google gift cards worth $50 each.

The fake FBI informant then asked the woman to read the numbers on the cards to him and the woman complied. The woman went to Wells Fargo and started a fraud investigation.

The Federal Trade Commission encourages consumers to be wary of any calls from an unfamiliar number claiming to be from a familiar organization. The FTC says to be wary of a caller saying there is a problem or a prize and to be wary of a caller applying pressure to act immediately.

• Bridgett Lacota Poston, 38, was charged on Sunday with child abuse.

• Brandi Danyelle Hawkins, 37, was charged on Monday with felony breaking and entering at 210 N. Main St.

• Nick Jeffrey Cowden, 40, was charged on Monday with trafficking heroin or opium.

• A man on the 1100 block of Chuck Taylor Lane was the victim of a larceny with a loss of property totaling $651.

• A woman on the 800 block of North Enochville Avenue in Kannapolis was the victim of the theft of a motor vehicle.

• A man on the 4400 block of Stokes Ferry Road reported the theft of chainsaw and string trimmer totaling $800.

In Salisbury Police reports:

• Terrance B. McPherson, 18, was charged on Saturday for larceny.

• Victor Ray Gobin, 57, was charged on Saturday for larceny.

• A woman on the 1600 block of Standish Street reported the larceny of a bag and a firearm with a total value of about $290.

• A man on the 700 block of North Long Street was the victim of a motor vehicle theft.

About Ben Stansell

Ben Stansell covers business, county government and more for the Salisbury Post. He joined the staff in August 2020 after graduating from the University of Alabama. Email him at ben.stansell@salisburypost.com.

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