The Harnett County Sheriff's Office connected two incidents involving a shooting on Sunday that left one person dead and another injured.
Deputies were first called to reports of a shooting at 3:45 p.m. on Scooter Lane. When they arrived, deputies said they found a person who had been shot multiple times.
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Damon Bird, 18, told deputies he was walking on McDuffie Road near Scooter Lane when he said a car came by and the person inside began shooting at him. Bird was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Less than 20 minutes later, Sanford police were called to Palm Drive on a report that two people had been shot. Police said one of the people told officers he was shot while in Harnett County.
Police said a 16-year-old was pronounced dead on the scene at Palm Drive, while a second person, 20-year-old Mario Ramos, was taken to UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill.
On Wednesday, investigators from the HCSO confirmed that the two incidents were connected.
Detectives learned that Ramos and the 16-year-old traveled to the intersection of McDuffie Road and Scooter Lane to meet Bird and Donald Martin. When Ramos and the 16-year-old arrived, Bird allegedly pointed a firearm at them and demanded items from them, indicating an attempted robbery.
An exchange of gunfire followed, resulting in injuries to Bird and Ramos, as well as the death of the 16-year-old.
The sheriff's office did not provide details as to why Ramos and the 16-year-old reported their injuries less than 20 minutes later at a different location.
HCSO arrested Bird and Martin on Tuesday and charged both with:
- first-degree murder
- attempted first-degree murder
- assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury
- robbery with a dangerous weapon
- conspiracy to commit robbery with a dangerous weapon
- three counts of discharging a weapon into occupied property
Both Bird and Martin are held in the Harnett County Detention Center under no bond. HCSO said this investigation remains active and ongoing.