Two people were killed, and several others are critically injured after gunfire broke out at a weekend party in Robeson County, authorities said on Saturday.
According to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, 13 people were shot when chaos erupted during the gathering near Maxton, about 95 miles southwest of Raleigh. Sheriff Burnis Wilkins confirmed that the shooting occurred in the early hours of Saturday and described it as a “tragic incident.”
“There is no current threat to the community as this appears to have been an isolated incident,” the Sheriff’s Office said in an official statement.
Investigators said that when officers arrived, more than 150 people had already fled the scene, making identification of witnesses and suspects difficult. The party took place in a rural area close to the South Carolina border, and deputies are now interviewing survivors and collecting evidence from the site.
Homicide detectives and crime scene teams worked through the night to reconstruct the sequence of events. As of now, no arrests have been announced, and the names of the victims are being withheld pending family notification.
Sheriff seeks public help
Authorities have urged anyone with information or video evidence from the party to come forward. “We are asking that anyone with information regarding this incident or anyone that was at the scene when the shooting occurred, to make contact with Sheriff's Investigators,” the Sheriff’s Office said.
The shooting marks one of the worst mass shootings in Robeson County in recent years, underscoring the continuing rise in gun violence at private gatherings across southeastern North Carolina.
