SALISBURY, N.C. — A shooting at an outdoor fundraising event in Rowan County killed one person and injured another, according to the Rowan County Sheriff's Office.
Around 9 p.m. on Sunday, emergency personnel responded to Ranchos Los Gavilanes, an outdoor event space on Oak Mountain Road, which is located in a rural area of Rowan County about a 20-minute drive west of downtown Salisbury. One person, who had been shot in the chest, was transported by medical personnel to Novant Health's Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte where they were pronounced dead, according to the sheriff's office.
Witnesses say that person was a teenaged boy.
A second person was transported in a personal vehicle to Novant Health Rowan Medical Center. That person was listed in stable condition.
"This address is frequently used as an open arena event center, and there was some type of fundraising event going on at the time, with a large crowd in attendance," the Rowan County Sheriff's Office explained in a written statement.
The names of the two people shot have not been released to the public.
Speaking through a translator, Socorro Castro, who lives near the event site, spoke of the trauma of the night. From her home, she said, she heard the teen's mother call out, "Where's my son? Where's my son?"
The teen died a short time later. She's hoping to see more security at future events.
Among the chaos was one party-goer who didn't want to share her name. She said the event was supposed to help raise money for a man with cancer. Instead, families left running away in fear.
"Everybody was just having a good time. Out of nowhere ... we hear at least five or six gunshots go off," the woman said. "It’s a sad turn of events, like, I don’t think anyone deserved what happened. I don’t think anybody expected it.”
Investigators are working to identify the shooter in this incident. Anyone with any information on this incident is encouraged to contact Lt. Ryan Barkley with the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office at 704-216-8711, or they can call Rowan County Crime Stoppers at 1-866-639-JAIL (5245).
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