A shootout in La Grange, North Carolina took place early Sunday in rural Lenoir County when a masked gunman attempted to rob a group of people gathered in an outbuilding at 308 W. Queen St. playing cards.
Police are unsure of exactly what happened other than the masked man and two people playing cards were all found shot to death in what they are calling a "botched robbery." Lenoir County Sheriff Ronnie Ingram said the robbery happened around 1:15 a.m. on Sunday in a statement, "We are still working to find out if a struggle occurred or if the robbers just came in shooting."
One of the dead men who is suspected of committing the robbery was identified as Jerrell Marquez Pridgen of Goldsboro, the other two men were John Wesley Johnson Jr. of Sumter, S.C. and Roderick Wayne Gillette of La Grange, both were also found dead at the scene.
Ingram also stated, "We do know for sure that Pridgen was one of the suspects at the scene along with some others, and their intention was robbing someone. He was armed with a gun, had something covering his face and demanded money from the victims."
A third man who was at the card game was wounded but his identified has not been released. La Grange is such a small town deputies on patrol heard the gunfire and were headed to West Queen St. before the 911 report even came in.
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