2 teenagers shot at Granville County home; 1 suspect in custody, 1 sought

OXFORD, N.C. (WTVD) -- One man is in custody, and another is on the run after an Oxford double shooting that left two teenagers hurt.

The two teens, ages 16 and 15, were shot early Thursday morning at a home in Granville County.

Oxford Police said 26-year-old Jerome Michael Bumpass, of Oxford, was in custody, but they were still searching for Nicolen Maurice Pettiford Jr. as of Thursday evening.

The two men are accused of shooting the two teenagers in the 200 block of Maple Drive.

The victims were taken to Granville Medical Center and subsequently airlifted to Duke University Medical Center for "multiple gunshot wounds." They were described as stable and were expected to recover.

"It's a sad situation, but it's one that I think the entire community is going to have to come together to resolve," Granville County Commissioner Tony Cozart said.

Cozart, who serves District 4 in Granville County, reacted to the shooting.

He said he would love to see more families involved in the programs that Granville County has to offer, such as 4-H, which keep young people busy and away from crime through a variety of educational clubs that aim to empower them.

"We (also) have a Boys and Girls Club," Cozart said. "I wish we could expand those opportunities. I wish we had more afterschool programs for our children in our schools."

Cozart added there are also practical ways for the community to help reduce gun violence.

"I do believe there are some adverse experiences that we can control, but we've got to put the work in supervising our children, knowing where they are, talking to them, letting them understand a better way of solving conflicts," Cozart said. "We've got to put the time in as a community and if we do that, I think we can we can turn this thing around into a much better place than we are today."

Bumpass and Pettiford face three counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder.

Police said a motive is not currently being released.

Anyone with information on Pettiford's whereabouts is asked to please contact your local law enforcement agency, the Oxford Police Department at (919) 693-3161 or Granville County Crimestoppers.

Police said if you see Pettiford, do not approach him as he is considered armed and dangerous.