Johnston County gets in on the New Years Day shootfest

Not to be outdone by the City of Durham, Johnston County had three shot and one killed on New Years Day.

The shootings in Clayton were the first in a spate of violence that began well after midnight.

The violence erupted shortly after 2 a.m. at a party at the rented American Legion building on U.S. 70, Bizzell said in the release. Officers did not say who was renting the building.

Deputies arriving at the scene found (Victim 2), (Victim 3) and (Victim 1) wounded by gunfire in the parking lot. (Victim 1) was taken by friends to Johnston Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

(Victim 2) and (Victim 3) also were taken to hospitals. Their injuries were not life-threatening, Bizzell said.

So, did an argument at the American Legion get out of hand when a couple of armed veterans started shooting each other?

Suspect 1

Suspect 2

Victim 1

Victim 2

Or was it a bunch of known criminals shooting at each other? The story gives us the interesting piece of information that the dead Suspect 1 was awaiting trial for shooting a 17 year old in the face back in August.

I’m guessing that this wasn’t an argument over who had it worst back in the Big War.