At 4:40 p.m. on Saturday, Albemarle Police officers responded to a report of shots fired in the Walmart parking lot, in the northeast corner near Tractor Supply’s property line.
Officers arrived to locate three teens in the parking lot, who reported that an unknown person had shot a gun in their direction. Officers established that a group of adolescents exchanged remarks before one group of three moved away to the tree-lined hill between the Walmart parking lot and Tractor Supply.
Several minutes later, two gunshots were heard, and a bullet impacted the front of a vehicle. A close witness reported seeing a young male wearing a dark hoodie standing in the tree line with what seemed to be a pistol in his hand. The witness stated that the male then walked away, hands in his hoodie pocket.
Patrol officers were able to view video footage and photograph the suspects. These photographs were distributed to law enforcement to aid in identification.
On Monday, Albemarle Police Department Patrol Officers, Albemarle Police Department School Resource Officers, and Stanly County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officers assisted in identifying a suspect (juvenile) who was later charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and minor possession of a firearm. Two semi-automatic handguns were also confiscated during the inquiry.
Police indicated that the matter is still being investigated, and that additional arrests may be made.