A 66-year-old man is recovering in the hospital after being shot during a domestic dispute in Richmond County, and the man accused of pulling the trigger is still on the run. Deputies say they responded to Dale Peterkin Street in the Dobbins Heights community around 10:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 after getting a report that a man had been shot.
According to a report from yahoo.com, deputies arrived to find the victim suffering from what appeared to be a non-life-threatening injury, and emergency crews took him to a hospital for treatment. Investigators have identified 34-year-old Simmie Lee Rogers as the suspected shooter, and as Queen City News notes, Rogers fled the scene before deputies got there.
Warrants Issued, Suspect Still at Large
Authorities have issued warrants charging Rogers with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and possession of a firearm by a felon. Under North Carolina General Statutes, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill that inflicts serious injury is punishable as a Class C felony, while separate state law makes it unlawful for anyone convicted of a felony to purchase, own, possess, or have in their custody, care, or control a firearm.
Investigators consider Rogers armed and dangerous, the sheriff's office said, and they described the shooting as an isolated incident that stemmed from a domestic dispute. No other details about the relationship between Rogers and the injured man have been released.
How to Report a Tip
Anyone with information about Rogers' whereabouts is asked to call 911 or contact Richmond County Crime Stoppers at 910-997-5454. The case remains active as deputies continue searching for Rogers, and no further updates on his location have been confirmed.
Domestic violence-related shootings remain a persistent concern statewide — North Carolina recorded at least 213 domestic violence-related homicides in 2023, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Gun Violence Solutions, which also found the state had the 12th highest gun homicide rate in the country overall in 2024.
