Deputies say a 62-year-old man opened fire inside a home near Sanford, then tried to make a break for it on a riding lawn mower with a shotgun in hand. A woman and two juveniles were inside the house during the gunfire, but none were hit. The suspect was later arrested and is being held without bond.
According to a Facebook update from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the shooting happened Friday on Stone Hill Lane near Sanford. Deputies identified the suspect as Woodrow Allen Smith, 62, and said he left the scene on a riding mower while carrying a .410 shotgun. Investigators said they later found the mower near a storage building, searched the area and arrested Smith.
Mower getaway ended quickly
In that Facebook post, deputies described the incident as a domestic disturbance in which someone was reportedly firing a shotgun at people inside the residence. The sheriff’s office did not say what led up to the shooting or explain Smith’s relationship to the woman and juveniles in the home.
Charges and victims
Officials said Smith is facing a long list of counts: felony attempted first-degree murder; felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill; felony discharging a firearm into occupied property; felony possession of a firearm by a felon; and misdemeanor simple assault. An arrest warrant also alleges Smith threatened to kill one of the juveniles and used his hands to choke the boy, according to The Charlotte Observer. He is being held without bond pending prosecution.
What the law says
Attempted first-degree murder and the related counts listed in the case are treated as violent felonies under state law, and judges can limit or deny pretrial release in such situations. North Carolina’s homicide statute outlines murder and related offenses and the circumstances that can elevate a case, per N.C.G.S. § 14-17. The North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys lists Prosecutorial District 12 as covering Harnett and Lee counties, which would handle the case locally.
Investigators have not released a possible motive and are asking anyone with information to contact the sheriff’s office. Tips and updates are being shared on the agency’s social channels, according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
