‘Very sad’: NC fireman shot while responding to alarm call; 2nd firefighter nearly hit by gunfire

ELLERBE, N.C. (AP/WNCN) — A North Carolina firefighter was shot while responding to a call for a fire alarm on Monday morning in Ellerbe, according to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.

One fire truck and one firefighter in a personal vehicle responded to the scene, where they were met with gunfire and a firefighter was hit. Deputies responded and took a suspect into custody.

The injured firefighter, Jerry Lyndon Shepard, was airlifted to a trauma center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The shooting happened around 4:30 a.m. near 1023 Green Lake Road in Ellerbe, about 70 miles west of Charlotte. Shepard was shot in the leg, officials said.

Documents also revealed that another firefighter, Jerry Louis Scott, was shot at but was not injured. Both Scott and Shepard are firefighters with the Ellerbe Fire Department.

Cordova Fire Rescue based in nearby Rockingham released a statement about the gunfire:

Cordova fire and rescue would like to extend its prayers to Ellerbe Fire Department in reference to the member being shot while responding to a call, while we will not get into the legalities of it, it is very sad that a fireman was trying to do his duties and sustained injuries. Prayers for all involved and to our brothers and sister at Ellerbe Fire Department

The suspect is charged with two counts of assault on emergency personnel with a firearm and one count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or inflict serious injury.

The State Bureau of Investigation was called in to help. As of Monday afternoon, they were still collecting evidence at the scene and had no comment on a possible motive.

— WJZY-TV contributed to this report