A shooting on Wednesday afternoon on Lewis Street in Bladenboro has left one person dead, according to Bladen County Coroner, Hubert Kinlaw.

Bladenboro Police Chief Chris Hunt confirmed there had been a shooting earlier in the afternoon in Bladenboro.

“The SBI is assisting with it,” said Chief Hunt.

He said an arrest is forthcoming in the case.

“I want to reassure the community this is an isolated incident,” said Chief Hunt.

Chief Hunt said an arrest in the case is forthcoming.

Stay with Bladen Online for more details on this developing story.

One man has been arrested and charged with first degree murder in connection to Wednesday’s shooting death in Bladenboro, according to Bladenboro Police Chief Chris Hunt.

According to Bladen County Jail records, Henry Spivey, 39, is facing charges of first degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, discharging a weapon into an occupied dwelling/moving vehicle, and attempted first degree murder.

Chief Hunt said that on Wednesday afternoon, an argument erupted between a man who was at a residence on Lewis Street and Spivey.

“We received information that Mr. (Henry) Spivey had been at the residence,” said Chief Hunt. He added that law enforcement was able to get a vehicle description and the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office and Highway Patrol were able to get the vehicle stopped on Butler Mill Road.

Chief Hunt said officers were able to confirm Spivey’s identity and he was taken to the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office where he was interviewed.

Chief Hunt identified the shooting victim who was killed as Deanna McGirt, 30,  of Pembroke. Chief Hunt confirmed two other individuals were wounded in the incident. Chief Hunt said a second shooting victim, whose identity is not currently being released, was airlifted to the hospital and a third gunshot victim, whose identity is also being withheld at this time, was treated at Bladen County Hospital for a gunshot wound to the hand and released.

The incident remains under investigation at this time and the State Bureau of Investigation is assisting.

A man charged with first degree murder in the Bladenboro shooting made his first court appearance on Thursday. According to court records, Henry Spivey, 39, was denied bond on the first degree murder charge.

Spivey is also charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, discharging a weapon into an occupied dwelling/moving vehicle, and attempted first degree murder. He was given a total bond amount of $310,000 on those charges.

Andrew Wall was appointed by the court as Spivey’s attorney and his next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 29.

Spivey is facing charges stemming from a shooting that ocurred on Lewis Street in Bladenboro on Wednesday afternoon.

Bladenboro Police Chief Chris Hunt said that on Wednesday afternoon, an argument erupted between a man who was at a residence on Lewis Street and Spivey prior to the shooting.

Chief Hunt said that officers learned that Spivey was at the residence and were able to obtain a vehicle description. Chief Hunt said that the bladen County Sheriff’s Office and NC Highway Patrol were able to stop Spivey’s vehicle on Butler Mill Road and confirmed Spivey identity.

Chief Hunt said Spivey was transported to the Bladen County Sheriff’s Office where he was interviewed.

Chief Hunt identified the shooting victim who was killed as Deanna McGirt, 30,  of Pembroke. Chief Hunt confirmed two other individuals were wounded in the incident. Chief Hunt said a second shooting victim, whose identity is not currently being released, was airlifted to the hospital and a third gunshot victim, whose identity is also being withheld at this time, was treated at Bladen County Hospital for a gunshot wound to the hand and released.

The investigation is continuing, said Chief Hunt.

On Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016 at 4:30 p.m. the Elizabethtown Police Department received a report of a burglary / armed robbery at 204 Wright Street, Apartment 29, Elizabethtown.

Responding Elizabethtown Patrol Sergeant Thomas Davis made contact with the victim, Fayth Abbagayl Monks. Monks stated that she was at home when an unknown to her black male entered her residence through the unsecure front door. Monks advised that at some point she encountered the suspect while inside her residence. A struggle ensued between the suspect and Monks in which the suspect produced a firearm and demanded and took the victim’s money and personal items. The suspect then left the scene traveling in a silver or gray Grand Marquis.

This case is still being investigated by Elizabethtown Police Department Investigator Sergeant Willie Thompson. It is requested that anyone who has any information regarding this incident please contact Sergeant Thompson of the Elizabethtown Police Department at 910-862-3125.

The Bladenboro Police Department is warning citizens to be aware of a grant scam.

Chief Chris Hunt said that a citizen received a telephone call informing her she had been awarded a $9,000 grant. Chief Hunt said the caller told the victim she had to send the company $200 to cover fees associated with the grant.

Chief Hunt said that fortunately the victim realized the call was not legitimate and did not give out any personal information to the caller.

“If you have truly won a prize you will never be asked to pay any money to receive something that you have won,” said Chief Hunt.

On Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, at 11:53 p.m. the Elizabethtown Police Department received a report of a subject who had been assaulted at 204 Wright Street, Apartment 4, Elizabethtown.

Responding Officer Sergeant Winfort Nichols made contact with the victim, Cecil Hendricks, who reported that he was attending a party held at the Lewis Village apartment complex. Hendricks advised that during the party he was involved in an argument and fight which resulted in him being the victim of an assault. Hendricks was then transported to Bladen County Hospital by ambulance where he was treated for severe head and facial injuries sustained during the physical altercation.

Upon further investigation and based on evidence and information gathered by Elizabethtown Investigator Sgt. Willie Thompson, the police department able to charge the suspect, Tyree Michael Thomas, 27, of 307 Emma Street, Elizabethtown, with felony assault inflicting serious injury upon Cecil Hendricks.

Thomas is currently being held in Bladen County Jail under a $10,000.00 secure bond.

The investigation is still ongoing.

Another scam is making the rounds in the form of a pop up ad that informs the victim that they have been selected for an opportunity to win I-Pad or a MacBook Pro. In this case, a BladenOnline reader received a pop up ad over the weekend that appears to indicate it is from Star Wireless.

The message indicates the victim has an opportunity to win a prize but in order to be eligible for the prize, they have to complete a survey. According to reports, the survey requests personal information such as how long you have been a Star Wireless customer.

The Star Telephone Communications Facebook page carries a message indicating this pop up ad is a scam. The company tells customers not give any personal information to anyone over the internet.

To report a possible scam or to learn more about how to protect yourself from becoming a victim of a scam, click here.

RALEIGH – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announces events in observance of the National Heroin & Opioid Awareness Week, September 19-23, 2016.

On September 20, 2016, an Executive Session for Law Enforcement will take place to discuss heroin & opioid abuse, distribution, and overdose issues.  All Police Chiefs, Sheriffs, and Federal Law Enforcement Agency heads within the Eastern District of North Carolina are welcome to attend.    

The Opiate crisis we face is not just a crime problem, it is a community public health problem.  In recognition of the importance of citizen input, our office will host a Community Town Hall on September 22, 2016, at the Pullen Park Community Center in Raleigh.  Please join us for this important event.

A missing 6-year-old girl from Wilmington has been found alive and an arrest has been made in her abduction, according to the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office.

Stefanny Lenneth Lopez-Castro of Wilmington was located on River Road in Wilmington on Thursday morning and has been transported to New Hanover Regional Medical Center for treatment.

According to the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, arrested was Douglas Edwards, 46, of Wilmington. According to reports, Edwards was arrested on Thursday morning and is facing charges of first-degree kidnapping.

According to reports, she was found about two miles from the location where she was abducted.

An Amber Alert was issued Wednesday night for 6-year-old Stefanny Lenneth Lopez-Castro after she was reported to have been abducted by a white or Hispanic male on a black Moped.

GREENVILLE – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that today in federal court, Senior United States District Judge Malcolm J. Howard sentenced Ernest Tulsida Carpenter, 44, of Fayetteville to 190 months imprisonment followed by 5 years of supervised release.

On December 9, 2014, Carpenter was armed with a semi-automatic handgun when he entered Moe’s Southwest Grill at 201 N. McPherson Street in Fayetteville, North Carolina, as an employee was taking the trash out.  Carpenter, who wore a black mask to conceal his face, approached the employee and demanded money from the safe. Carpenter, threatened that he would “shoot every employee in the business” if the safe was not opened.  At the time of the robbery, four employees and several customers were inside the restaurant. Carpenter forced the employees, at gunpoint, to the rear of the building where the office was located.  After the manager opened the safe, the defendant leaned down to retrieve money and an employee lunged at Carpenter. A struggle ensued and the defendant fired two rounds from his firearm.  One employee was shot in the foot and a second employee was shot in the abdomen.  During the struggle, the defendant’s ski mask was partially removed and Carpenter’s face was exposed.  Carpenter fled on foot, without taking any money, but was apprehended shortly after the robbery. Once detained, Carpenter’s eye began to swell as a result of the struggle with the employee.

On May 9, 2016, Carpenter pled guilty to the charges of Interference with Commerce by Robbery and Discharging of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.

This case was part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative which encourages federal, state, and local agencies to cooperate in a unified “team effort” against gun crime, targeting repeat offenders who continually plague their communities.

Investigation of this case was conducted by the Fayetteville Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).  Assistant United States Attorney Jane Jackson represented the government.

The Bladenboro Police Department is warning citizens to be aware of a computer scam. Police Chief Chris Hunt said that he is aware of at least one victim of the scam thus far.

Chief Hunt said the way the scam works, is the victim will receive a telephone call from someone claiming to be a Microsoft IT Tech or a representative from some other well known company. He said the caller will advise the victim that their home computer is interfering with their company’s servers and it may have some type of virus or something else wrong with it. Chief Hunt said the caller will then advise the victim that they can “repair” their computer remotely.

“From what I understand, these people are very convincing,” said Chief Hunt.

He said when the victim consents to the “repair” they will see a window pop up on their computer screen that reads “Supremo” and will have some numbers the caller will claim are your computer’s identification. Chief Hunt said the victim will then see the cursor begin to move around on their computer screen as the scammer has taken over their computer.

Chief Hunt said once the scammer remotely has access to the victim’s computer, they will try to convince the victim they need to “clean up” the computer. In reality, Chief Hunt said at that point the scammers have access to all of your information that has ever been placed on the computer including financial passwords, credit card information, and banking information.

“People need to pretend this person is a pick pocket and his hands on your wallet,” said Chief Hunt.

He said if you have been a victim of the scam you need to contact your bank to get a new account, contact your credit card company and have them to issue new cards, and if you have bills that are automatically drafted from your banking account, you need to alert them.

“Never, ever allow someone to have remote access to your computer. You don’t know who it is you may be talking to,” said Chief Hunt.

On Tuesday, Sept. 6, at 11:06 a.m., the Elizabethtown Police Department received a report of breaking and entering of a motor vehicle and larceny which occurred in the McLeod Village parking lot in Elizabethtown.

The initial responding officer, Patrolman Christopher Avant, made contact with the victim Christina Montgomery  who reported her vehicle had been left unattended in the parking lot between the dates of September 1 and September 3. During that time someone broke into it and stole her wallet containing personal identification cards as well as financial cards.

Elizabethtown Police Department Detective Jeffrey Guyton was assigned the case and upon further investigation was able to develop and charge a suspect in this case identified as Angeliene Peoples. There are currently active warrants on Peoples. If located please contact local law enforcement.

Sheriff James A. McVicker announced today the arrest of Cevon Ferris Jones, 16, of 10898 South College Street, Clarkton. Jones was charged with making a false report of mass violence on educational property, a class H felony carrying a maximum punishment of 10 years in prison.

“This young man created a false Facebook Profile that showed photographs of clowns and threatening violence at East Bladen High School,” said McVicker. “He had placed symbols of a bomb and a gun and worded his post to lead others to believe there would be an attack at the high school.”

McVicker said his office received the report on Wednesday morning and immediately began an investigation. “Lieutenant Morgan Johnson led the investigation and we were able to track down Jones through various means within six hours of getting the report. We believe Jones was acting alone and he did not commit any overt acts to carry out the threat.”

McVicker said he did not believe the case to be related to similar cases in Columbus county.

“We were in contact with the schools and kept Dr. Taylor, the superintendent of schools aware of our investigation,” McVicker said. “We received the full cooperation of the schools involved and the administration. At no time were students or faculty ever in danger.” McVicker also said that Jones was a student at West Bladen High School but made his false threats aimed at East Bladen High School.

Jones is being held in Bladen County jail under a $500 bond awaiting a first appearance later today.

An Elizabethtown man could spend almost 7 1/2 years in prison after agreeing to a plea arraignment Tuesday on charges of first degree burglary and assault with a deadly weapon.

Maleke Tyeri King, 22, of the 200 block of Sholar Road, was sentenced to a minimum of 64 months and a maximum of 89 months in prison during a session in Bladen County Superior Court. Charges of attempted first degree murder and second degree kidnapping were dropped under the deal with the state.

The incident began Oct. 24, 2015, when King went to the home of James Junious Lesane of Land J Lane in Tar Heel to return his child to the child’s mother, Brittany Lesane, according to authorities. While at the home, King and James Lesane got into an argument. King then entered the home and assaulted James Lesane with his fists and a handgun, striking him in the head several times, Bladen County Sheriff James McVicker said at the time of King’s arrest.

According to James Lesane and witnesses, King pointed a gun at James Lesane and pulled the trigger, but the gun did not fire, McVicker said. King then left the residence.

King was arrested Oct. 27 without incident, authorities said.

The Pender County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Bladen County man and charged him with sex crimes against a child.

Torrey Rashaun Daniels, 19, is facing charges of statutory rape of a child less than 15; indecent liberties with a child; and sexual battery. He is being held in the Pender County Jail under a $650,000 bond.

According to the Pender County Sheriff’s Office, Daniels, is alleged to have had inappropriate sexual contact with a 13-year-old female.

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The intersection of NC 210 and NC 11 in Bladen County was reduced to one lane on Tuesday afternoon.

According to NC Highway Patrol Trooper K. McVicker, a Ryder truck was traveling eastbound on NC 210 and ran the blinking red light at the intersection. The Ryder truck struck a log truck that was traveling northbound on NC 11.

After impact, Trooper McVicker said the Ryder truck flipped, knocking down the blinking red light and landed on a gray Toyota and a Ford pickup truck.

Trooper McVicker said four people were injured and transported to the hospital. One of the injured was airlifted to the hospital.

Trooper McVicker said the driver of the Ryder truck will be charged with failure to yield the right of way.

Boston, MA – The Ruderman Family Foundation, a national leader in disability inclusion, again reiterates its call for police officers to receive better training when interacting with people with disabilities, after Keith Lamont Scott, a 43-year-old man with disabilities, was fatally shot by police on Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“According to the lawyer for the family of Keith Lamont Scott, Mr. Scott had a disability,” said Jay Ruderman, President of the Ruderman Family Foundation. “A recent study by the Ruderman Family Foundation found that half of people killed by police have a disability and that disability played a role in the incidents which led to these fatalities.”

In a statement from Justin Bamberg, an attorney for the family of Keith Lamont Scott on Thursday night, it was revealed that Scott had a disability following a near-death motorcycle crash last year. According to his mother, Vernita Scott Walker this had caused him “to stutter his words and sometimes he couldn’t remember what he said.”

Unsettling just-released footage showing the moments leading up to the fatal shooting taken by Scott’s wife, also show miss Scott stating, “He has a T.B.I.” – an abbreviation for the traumatic brain injury. “He’s not going to do anything to you guys. He just took his medicine.”

“What is clear is that police across the United States need better training in interacting with people with disabilities in the course of their daily policing duties in order to reduce incidents of police killings,” Ruderman added.

The Ruderman White Paper on Media Coverage of Law Enforcement Use of Force and Disability released last March found that half of all recent high profile police-related killings in the United States are people with disabilities. Despite this being the second fatal police incident in Charlotte, North Carolina in less than a month involving a person with disabilities, this unfortunate growing trend continues to be widely overlooked.

A Clarkton man was shot to death at a residence in Lake Waccamaw on Saturday night, according to the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office.

Bobby Lee Sessoms was found dead of gunshot wounds inside the home of Steven Craig Long located at Lake Waccamaw, according to the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office.

An autopsy is scheduled for today (Monday, Sept. 26) at the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Raleigh.

According to reports, the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office received a call at about 7:30 p.m. and upon arrival at the home found Sessoms, 44 , of Shannon Drive, Clarkton,  dead inside.

Long, of Ben Jones Road, Lake Waccamaw, is charged with murder in the case and is being held at the Columbus County Detention Center in Whiteville.

The investigation into the incident is still ongoing.

On Sunday, Sept. 25, at around 3:51 a.m. Elizabethtown Police Department Patrolman Joshua Blake Bryan was on patrol and located Kendrick Shipman who was operating a vehicle in the area of 101 East Broad Street in Elizabethtown. At the time, it was determined by Officer Bryan that there were active orders for arrest on Kendrick Shipman from Columbus County for failure to appear in court on previous charges.

Officer Bryan along with Sgt. Jeromy Martin and Patrolman Christopher Avant made contact with Kendrick Shipman and placed him under arrest for the active warrants. Contact was also made with Houston Junius Smith who was a passenger in the car. Upon further investigation Houston Smith was found to have a concealed handgun, marijuana, and cocaine on his person. Officers also located cocaine in Kendrick Shipman’s vehicle he was operating.

Officer Bryan served the warrants on Kendrick Shipman and also charged him with felony possession of cocaine. The passenger Houston Smith was also charged with felony possession of cocaine, resisting a public officer, simple possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and carrying a concealed weapon.

Houston Smith was held in Bladen County Jail under a $26,500 secured bond. Kendrick Shipman was also held in Bladen County Jail under a $75,000 secured bond.

The Alcohol Law Enforcement Branch of the State Bureau of Investigation conducted an investigation in Bladen County during the weekend and made two arrests as a result.

On Sunday, September 25, ALE Special Agents conducted an investigation at a suspected illegal bar in Bladen County located at 53 John T. Council Cemetery Road, White Oak. The investigation resulted in two arrests resulting in multiple alcohol and drug charges. Agents seized 13.7 grams of powder cocaine, five grams of marijuana, eight bottles of spirituous liquor, and $3,711 dollars in US currency.

Barnabas Council was charged with an alcoholic beverage violation and one count of simple possession of marijuana.

Tyrone Edwards was arrested for possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine; felony possession of cocaine and possession of marijuana.

The Bladen County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the investigation.

“Illegal bars and nightclubs often serve as a haven for other criminal activity in North Carolina communities. Addressing these illegal businesses before they become a place of violence is a priority of the State Bureau of Investigation’s Alcohol Law Enforcement Branch,” said Bryan House, Special Agent in Charge.