First Baptist Church had a glass window to a door damaged and there was minimal damage to a wall when someone fired shots at a vehicle in the area of Carter Street, Roanoke Rapids police said this afternoon.
The occupant of the vehicle, which Chief Bobby Martin said investigators believe was the intended target of the shooting, was struck and went to Vidant North for treatment.
The person’s condition as of this report was not known, Martin said in a statement.
There were people inside First Baptist, which is located in the Webb Hill area across from Carter and Church streets, at the time of the shooting around 3 p.m. but no one was injured. Martin said police did collect evidence at the church.
The reason behind the shooting is not known presently but Martin said, “Shots and gunfire are affiliated with drugs and gangs and it just so happens that Church and Carter streets are a hotspot for drug and gang activity. We’re trying our best to keep citizens concerned for their safety out of harm’s way. A lot of our shootings have involved younger suspects and victims. Sometimes you can’t take those rounds back and you could potentially have unintentional victims.”
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Crimestoppers at 252-583-4444.