Child, teen killed, several injured in Halifax County shootings
WELDON, N.C. (WTVD) -- Authorities in Halifax County are investigating two shootings that killed a child and a teenager within hours of one another.
The first shooting happened at 9:30 p.m. Monday in the area near 11th and Maple streets outside the town of Weldon.
Sheriff's deputies said a 15-year-old boy was killed, while a 20-year-old was shot in the back and a 17-year-old was shot in the leg during the incident.
Hours later, around 12:30 a.m., Weldon's police chief told ABC11 that officers were called to the 600 block of Cedar Street after shots were fired into a home that was less than a mile away from the first scene.
A 2-year-old girl, later identified by family members as Dyana Anderson, was killed. The girl's 54-year-old grandmother, Katherine Price, was also injured. Weldon's police chief said she was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.
"Very tough morning for the community ... for the family of the victim ... it's a pretty tight-knit community," Police Chief Mark Macon said. "This is the first time I have experienced tragedy in this area of such magnitude."
Macon told ABC11 that the gunman walked up to the house, then fired shots inside through a window. He called the shooting "horrific."
"This act of violence is unacceptable in our community," he said.
Chief Macon and Halifax County Sheriff Wes Tripp said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon that the shootings appear to be related. Tripp said bullet casings from different guns were found.
Anderson's grandfather said early Tuesday morning that he, his wife and granddaughter were sleeping when they heard three shots fired.
"That's my granddaughter," Larry Price said. "I would kiss her every morning on the head when I would leave for work ... when I would get off of work, I looked forward to seeing her. She's going to be missed. It's going to hurt. It's going to be a hard life for me down the road."
"I hope my wife recovers, you know what I'm saying, 'cause if I lose my wife, I'm going away from around here," Price added.
"I hope they get justice," the girl's aunt, Juanita Richardson, said. "It's ridiculous ... young boys and young girls, they got so much going ... beefing with each other and all that ... you can't get no where. What they doing; it's time somebody put their foot down. [sic]"
Details surrounding a possible suspect or suspects have not been released, but authorities did say they are looking for at least one person.
However, Richardson said she believed at least one of the incidents was connected to a dispute between teenage girls.
"They had something going on in the streets, and they brought it to my brother Larry Price's house," she said. "And at this time, we are through talking for right now."
Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call the Halifax County Sheriff's Office at (252) 583-8201, the Weldon Police Department, or CrimeStoppers at (252)583-4444.
