A July Fourth gathering in Forest City turned violent late Thursday morning when two people were shot at a home on Morningstar Lake Road in Rutherford County, according to local authorities. Deputies arrived just before noon and found two victims with gunshot wounds. Rutherford County EMS treated both at the scene and rushed them to a regional trauma center, officials said. Investigators quickly homed in on a suspect who had taken off before law enforcement got there and was later tracked down in a neighboring county.
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Robert Dale Wood III. Deputies said he is charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and one count of second-degree trespass and is being held without bond, according to FOX Carolina. Investigators added that a mugshot was not immediately available following his arrest.
Property Had Ongoing Nuisance-Abatement Case
The shooting happened at a property that was already on law enforcement’s radar. County and state officials had recently moved to clamp down on the location after documenting repeated criminal activity there. In a press release, the NC Department of Public Safety said consent judgments and final orders were signed in mid-June. Under those orders, the current resident must vacate within 60 days and the property is set to be listed for sale.
State and local officials described the site as having a long history of illegal drug sales, overdose incidents and violent crimes. The civil case is part of a broader nuisance-abatement effort aimed at shutting down locations that repeatedly draw police and paramedic responses.
Arrest and Investigation Details
According to deputies, Wood fled the Morningstar Lake Road scene before officers arrived. Investigators said they identified him within a short time and located him in Cleveland County, where he was taken into custody, per FOX Carolina. The two shooting victims were treated by Rutherford County EMS and transported to a regional trauma center for further care.
Officials with the sheriff’s office pointed to the incident as another example of why nuisance-abatement tools are being used to address locations that generate repeated criminal complaints and emergency calls.
What Comes Next
Wood remains in the Rutherford County jail without bond as the criminal case moves forward and prosecutors review the investigation. On the civil side, the orders tied to the Morningstar Lake Road property require the resident to move out and the home to be listed for sale by late August. Those measures, outlined in the state press release, are intended to cut down on calls for service and improve safety in the surrounding neighborhood.
The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with additional information about the shooting to contact investigators as they continue to piece together what led up to the July Fourth gunfire.
