White

White

LAURINBURG — Police are looking into two shootings that occurred Monday and early Tuesday morning.

According to Laurinburg Police Lt. Jeremy White, the shooting on Tuesday around 1:45 a.m. occurred on Wilson Street and left two men injured. A 31-year-old was shot in the hand while a 29-year-old was shot in the side. The 29-year-old was taken to an out-of-area hospital for his injuries and his condition is unknown. The other man was treated and released from Scotland Memorial Hospital.

On Monday a motor vehicle was struck by gunfire on Biggs Street causing $2,500 to the vehicle. Both incidents are under investigation.

Since the start of the year, there have been around 40 shootings in the city limits based on police reports and have left three people dead. The shootings are classified under the police reports as aggravated assaults but not all aggravated assaults are shootings.

“Since January we had 54 aggravated assaults,” White said. “Not all of them are shootings, but when we have a shooting into an occupied vehicle, house, or if it injured someone it’s an aggravated assault. If it’s shot into an unoccupied house or vehicle with no injuries, it would be a vandalism and, if it does result in someone being killed, it would be a homicide.”

In April a weekend of gun violence caused concern after there were nine shootings from April 24 to 27. The Laurinburg City Council called a meeting to discuss the issues but to also support the Laurinburg Police Chief Darwin “Duke” Williams in all that he is trying to do to keep the city safe.

The Laurinburg Exchange attempted to get more statistics from the police department Tuesday, but officers were working with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in apprehending a murder suspect. There is no other information on that effort at this time.

Reach Katelin Gandee at kgandee@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com.