Shooting victim tried to drive self to hospital
By Steve Herring
Published in News on May 11, 2014 1:50 AM
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News-Argus/BOBBY WILLIAMS
A Wayne County Sheriff's deputy looks over a car driven by the victim of a shooting late Saturday.
DUDLEY -- A Duplin County man trying to drive himself to Wayne Memorial Hospital after being shot in the face spun his vehicle in front of a Highway Patrol cruiser to get the officer's attention.
The victim was identified as John Henry Winston III, 19, of Warsaw. He was shot in his left cheek just behind his mouth.
Wayne County Sheriff's Office Det. Sgt. Mike Kabler said the shooting took place late Saturday afternoon in Calypso near U.S. 117.
Since the shooting happened in Duplin County, the Sheriff's Office there will take over the investigation, Kabler said.
The car has been secured by the Wayne County Sheriff's Office to protect any evidence until it can be collected by the Duplin County authorities.
Winston was alone in the car at the time of the shooting, Kabler said.
Kabler said he has a suspect, but could not comment further because of the ongoing investigation. He said Winston told him that the suspect fired at him three or four times with a large caliber handgun.
Winston was headed north on U.S. 117 when he spun out at the highway's intersection with O'Berry Road.
The car he was driving ran off the left side of the road, crossed the intersection and came to rest at the edge of the median facing the direction from which he came. Skid marks were visible where the car ran off the road and crossed the intersection, which was closed to traffic for a short time.
The car, its driver's side window shot out and with bullet holes in the door, came close to the Highway Patrol car, which was at the intersection.
For a while, four Highway Patrol cruisers were on the scene, along with about half a dozen Sheriff's Office's vehicles, as deputies searched the vehicle for evidence.
Wayne County EMS took the victim to Wayne Memorial Hospital, where he was admitted.