FROM STAFF REPORTS
Several Statesville-area schools were placed on security alert Wednesday morning following an incident in which two men and a teen were shot on Tuesday evening.
Student movement is restricted at Northview Academy, Statesville High and West Iredell High on Wednesday, and additional officers are present at all three schools, according to Iredell-Statesville Schools Superintendent Jeff James.
The safety precautions are related to a shooting in the area 1301 5th Street on Tuesday evening.
Around 6:50 p.m. Tuesday, Statesville police officers who were patrolling in the 1400 block of 5th Street heard multiple gunshots and responded to the area, according to a Statesville Police Department news release.
The officers witnessed multiple vehicles fleeing the area of the incident and attempted to stop a grey Mercedes leaving the scene, but the driver failed to stop, police said.
Officers pursued the vehicle to the front parking lot of Iredell Memorial Hospital. Two of the four occupants of the vehicle were suffering from gunshot wounds, according to the news release.
The driver, identified as Daquanta Dobbins, 20 of Statesville, sustained a graze-wound to the head, and a rear passenger, Tayvon Cauthen, 20 of Statesville, suffered a gunshot wound to the lower back, police said.
Dobbins was treated at Iredell Memorial and released. Cauthen was transported to Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Regional Medical Center in Winston-Salem for treatment of his injuries.
The other occupants of the Mercedes, identified as Keith Lackey, 26, of Statesville, and Xavier Poteat, 22, of Statesville, were not injured.
During the investigation, a 16-year-old male arrived at IMH with a gunshot wound to the leg. He was treated for his injuries and released.
The hospital was placed on lockdown while safety concerns were addressed.
“Any time there is a significant community event that could result in a potential lack of safety for our employees and others, we always lean toward making sure the area is kept safe so our team can continue to care for patients,” Iredell Health System President & CEO John Green said. “When it has been determined that safety is no longer a concern, lockdowns are lifted. Employee safety and patient care are always our priority.”
The Statesville Police Department Violent Crimes Unit and The N.C. State Bureau of Investigation responded to both locations to process the crime scene and vehicles. A search of the Mercedes was conducted and three firearms along with marijuana were found in the vehicle.
Dobbins, Cauthen, and Lackey have multiple pending felony charges involving drugs and firearms from previous incidents.
The investigation into this incident is still ongoing and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Statesville Police Department at 704-878-3406.