Ex-con is arrested in North Carolina courthouse shooting; his cousin says cops got the wrong guy
Updated: A suspected gunman in a North Carolina courthouse shooting on Tuesday was arrested and later cleared, while the hunt for a suspected accomplice continues.
Two men were injured in the shooting at the Nash County courthouse in Nashville, North Carolina, and were reported in serious but stable condition on Tuesday, report the Raleigh News & Observer and the Rocky Mount Telegram. Police arrested a suspected shooter, Ontarius Lewis III, 23, of Rocky Mount, shortly before 5 p.m., the Telegram says.
Witnesses said the gunman appeared to be waiting for the victims to exit the courthouse and opened fire when they came out, according to the News & Observer account. Nash County Sheriff Richard Jenkins said the shooter appeared to be targeting the victims. One victim ran back into the courthouse and another ran to the side of the building
Lewis was arrested after police contacted his father and arranged to take Lewis into custody, the Telegram says. He has a criminal record with convictions that include assault and battery, breaking and entering, and drug violations, the News & Observer says. After his arrest and interrogation, Lewis was cleared by police and released. Lewis “was definitely not the person that did any shooting,” said Nashville, North Carolina, Police Chief Thomas Bashore.
A cousin of Lewis’ told WNCN that Lewis was at the courthouse Tuesday because his brother had a court appearance. The cousin, Tamiko Jenkins, said she was with Lewis all day and he wasn’t involved in the shooting. “They have the wrong guy. That’s what I came here to say. They have the wrong guy–he’s innocent,” Jenkins said. The police were able to verify that Jenkins and Lewis were together in Wal-Mart when the shooting took place.
The second suspect, Demond Levar Morris, 36, has past felony drug convictions, the News & Observer says. He was due in court this week on drug charges and a charge of driving while intoxicated, the Telegram says.
Shooting victim Donte’a Evans, 34, was shot once in the hand and twice in the leg, a hospital spokesman said. Victim Lamar Ricks, 31, was shot in the left shoulder.
Evans was scheduled to appear in court Monday on charges of carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a firearm by a felon, the News & Observer says. It’s unclear whether he was scheduled to return to court on Tuesday, the newspaper says. He was previously charged in 2005 with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, but the charges were dropped after seven key witnesses could not be found, the newspaper says, citing state records.
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ABAJournal.com: “Alibi clears man arrested in courthouse shooting; two others arrested”
Updated on Oct. 30 to note that Ontarius Lewis was cleared by the police and released.