Fayetteville high school student charged with shooting fellow student
FAYETTEVILLE (WTVD) -- The Cumberland County Sheriff's Office has charged a Jack Britt High School student with robbing and shooting a fellow classmate early Tuesday morning following a party in the Birch Creek subdivision.
Deputies said 17-year-old Anthony Deandre Thomas-McSwain of Green Meadow Court in Fayetteville is in the Cumberland County Detention under an $520,000 bond.
He's charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, robbery with a dangerous weapon, conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon, and possession with intent to sell, deliver, and manufacture a controlled substance.
The teen professed his innocence in court Wednesday saying he wasn't in that area and wants to go back to school. However, the judge felt the allegations were serious and ended up increasing his bond.
The shooting happened shortly after midnight Tuesday in the 2800 block of Bardolino Drive.
Investigators said 17-year-old Wade Garrett Sessoms was shot in the head.
Thomas-McSwain was allegedly sitting in the backseat of a car with another person behind Sessoms when it happened.
Investigators said the two in the backseat pointed a small-caliber handgun at Sessoms and demanded he hand over all his money. Thomas-McSwain allegedly fired the gun when Sessoms tried to get out, and the teen was hit by bullet fragments.
Thomas-McSwain and his accomplice then fled with Sessom's wallet containing cash and 90 Xanax pills.
Sessom was treated at the hospital and thankfully is now home recuperating.
"It's certainly disappointing that we have cases with young people in our community...gun violence and that sort of thing. And we're going to treat each of them seriously as they come into the system here in the District Attorney's Office," said Cumberland County District Attorney Billy West.
The investigation continues and Thomas-McSwain's alleged accomplice has not been identified.
