An infant is in stable condition following a shooting in the Clinton area, in which two men opened fire on another at a birthday celebration Sunday, missing him and striking a nearby mobile home where the child was being kept.
Around 8:55 p.m. Sunday, deputies from the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office responded to 25 Bumpy Lane in the Clinton area regarding a “shots fired” call with possible injuries. Upon arrival, deputies were met by a female carrying an infant that had been shot in the torso.
Responding deputies provided first aid until Sampson County EMS personnel arrived on scene and took over treatment. The child was transported to Sampson Regional Medical Center, where she was then later airlifted to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill. As of Tuesday afternoon, the infant was listed in stable condition, authorities said.
Through preliminary investigation it was determined that a birthday celebration was being held at a residence on Bumpy Lane. Two armed males approached another male at the location and an altercation ensued. The two armed subjects opened fire as the intended target took off running toward his vehicle. One of the bullets went through the wall of the mobile home where the infant was being kept and struck her in the torso.
The suspects were described as Hispanic males, one of which was wearing a mask. The other was not. The incident is still under investigation and no suspect information was available as of Tuesday, sheriff’s officials said.
The name of the infant is being withheld, along with the name of the intended target of the shooting, “for safety reasons,” a statement from the Sheriff’s Office noted.