Taylor O'Bier
US sets record pace for mass killings so far this year
In six months, the U.S. has had 28 mass killings and 140 victims.
LEARN MOREPosted: 1:48 p.m. EDT Oct 27, 2023
Five people were fatally shot in a southeast North Carolina home on Thursday, according to the local sheriff’s office.
Authorities with the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called to the home on Garland Highway just before 1 a.m. after a person discovered the bodies of the victims.
Capt. Eric Pope told local media the individual who found the victims had just spoken to one of them around 11 p.m. before stopping by the home.
The victims are four men and one woman who range in age from mid-30s to 80s, Pope said. It’s unclear how the victims were all connected, he added.
Although investigators do not have a suspect in custody, the sheriff’s office said there is no threat to the public because they believe the shooting was targeted.
“This is not normal for our community. It is not normal for any community,” Pope said. “It should shock the conscience.”
Three other shooting incidents – including one involving law enforcement – happened across the county around the same time, but the sheriff’s office said none of the shootings are connected.
