A suspect has been located after a tense early-morning standoff near Tabor City on Tuesday, when deputies responding to a call at 396 Clemmons Drive heard a gunshot as they pulled into the driveway and had to withdraw and call for assistance before a drone helped track the person down. No injuries were reported in the incident, and charges in the case are still pending.
Gunshot Heard As Deputies Arrived
According to a sheriff’s office report cited by Columbus County News, deputies responding to the Clemmons Drive address heard a gunshot the moment they pulled into the driveway. Rather than advance into an unknown situation, deputies withdrew from the property and called for additional assistance, the same report states. A drone was then used to locate the suspect, per the sheriff’s office account relayed by the outlet.
The publication, led by editor and publisher Jefferson Weaver, reported the incident occurred early Tuesday morning near Tabor City. As of the report, authorities had not made the suspect’s name or additional case details available to the public, though charges are described as pending.
Pattern Of Gunfire Incidents Around Tabor City
Shootings in and around Tabor City have drawn repeated attention from Columbus County law enforcement in recent years, though the cases are distinct from Tuesday’s incident. In February 2025, the Columbus County Sheriff’s Office investigated a shooting in which multiple gunshots were fired into a Tabor City home, leaving two people with minor injuries while five people were reportedly inside at the time, according to WECT.
In an earlier case, the sheriff’s office searched for the person who shot a 22-year-old man north of Tabor City early one Saturday morning, as reported by nrcolumbus.com. In that incident, deputies found Nigel Mason lying on the ground beside a vehicle with a gunshot wound to the right leg, WWAYTV3 reported at the time.
Two men were separately charged in connection with a shooting at a Tabor City home on Reynolds Road that occurred the day after Christmas, according to a report from WWAYTV3. None of these prior cases is connected to Tuesday’s shooting near Clemmons Drive, but together they point to a recurring challenge for investigators working gunfire calls in the small Columbus County community.
For now, the details of Tuesday’s case remain limited to what deputies reported: a gunshot heard on approach, a tactical withdrawal, and a suspect ultimately found with the help of a drone. No further identifying information or charging details have been released.
