Person shot in unprovoked attack in Greenville, suspect in custody

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — A suspect is in custody after Greenville police said a person, who is a possible employee from East Carolina University, was shot in an unprovoked attack Wednesday morning that forced a school into lockdown.

ECU sent out an alert shortly before 9 a.m. for the public to avoid Fifth Street and Elm Street due to police activity in the area. Before that, Greenville police arrived at East Fifth Street around 8:30 a.m. and responded to reports of a shooting.

During that time, Wahl-Coates Elementary School was placed on lockdown as a precaution. Officials said a school resource officer heard the shots and called police to report it.

Greenville Police Chief Ted Sauls said the victim was shot while walking in the 2200 block area of Fifth Street. The suspect rode by on a bicycle and opened fire multiple times on the victim. The victim was talking to police and was taken to ECU Health Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

ECU officials told WNCT’s Erin Jenkins that because the name of the victim has not been released, they can not confirm if they work at the school.

Minutes after the shooting occurred, police tried to stop a man thought to be the suspect. Contributed video (see above) from Blake Scott shows that, as the officer approached, the suspect began shooting. The officer and at least one other who arrived at the scene fired back several times. The suspect was then taken into custody without injury to him or the officers.

The NC State Bureau of Investigation, which has an office in Greenville, has been called in to assist in the investigation.

“Key issues for me at this point are an unprovoked attack at 8:30 in the morning on the sidewalk. That is of concern to the community, for sure,” Sauls said. “The proximity to the school. I would like to point out, however, that our community did exactly what we were supposed to do. Our schools went on immediate lockdown, no one in our schools was injured, the incident, fortunately, had nothing to do with the schools. What it had to do with, I may never know.”

The part of Fifth Street between Elm Street and 10th Street remained closed as of noon as the investigation continued. The lockdown at Wahl-Coates Elementary has been lifted.

Police say there are no current threats to the community.