A 22-year-old Roanoke Rapids man wanted in connection with a shooting that left someone critically injured near Highway 48 was caught Tuesday afternoon in Newport News, Virginia. Rayvon Bennie Harrison was taken into custody there and now faces extradition back to North Carolina to answer for the October attack.
Harrison was arrested by the Newport News Police Department's Fugitive Apprehension Team, according to WAVY.com. As of Wednesday, he was still being processed, with the Halifax County NC Sheriff's Office confirming his custody status to the station. Investigators were working with the District Attorney's Office to bring Harrison back to Halifax County, where he's expected to face a charge of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with intent to kill.
Shooting Near Rhea Smith Road Left Victim Fighting for Life
The shooting that set off the manhunt happened on Oct. 19 at a convenience store on Highway 48 near Rhea Smith Road, per the WAVY.com report. One person was critically injured in the attack, and as of this week the victim remained listed in critical condition, with no update yet on a change in that status.
Investigators said the break in the case came after a wave of legwork in the days following the shooting. According to the Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald, detectives conducted numerous interviews and developed leads that resulted in probable cause for a warrant for Harrison, setting the stage for his eventual capture. The same outlet reported that the Halifax County Sheriff's Office credited the update on his arrest to a press release from Maj. Anzell M. Harris.
Potential Felony Exposure Under North Carolina Law
The charge investigators intend to pursue against Harrison falls under North Carolina General Statute 14-32, which the North Carolina General Assembly says classifies an assault with a deadly weapon, committed with intent to kill and resulting in serious injury, as a Class C felony. That statute lays out the potential punishment tied to the charge.
The Highway 48 corridor near Rhea Smith Road has seen violence before. Back in February, Halifax County deputies responded to a report of shots fired just before 8 p.m. at a convenience store parking lot in the same area, according to WITN. Deputies found 25-year-old Roanoke Rapids man Cormani Burnett dead inside a vehicle at the scene, apparently from a gunshot wound. The February shooting involved a convenience store parking lot in the same area.
For now, the focus remains on getting Harrison extradited so he can face the pending North Carolina charge. What led to the October shooting, and the full details of how it unfolded, have not been made public.
