By Staff
Death points at apparent suicide
By GREG KATSKI
Staff Writer
A suspected domestic altercation left one dead and another suffering from at least one gun shot wound on the 800 block of West Martin Luther King Drive in Washington on Tuesday afternoon, said Lt. William Chrismon, division commander with the Washington Police Department.
The initial notification came to Washington police and Washington rescue at 2:42 p.m. Police officers arrived on scene within minutes.
Upon initial investigation, an individual was pronounced dead at the scene of the crime, 866 West Martin Luther King Drive in Washington. The apparent cause of death at this time is a self-inflicted gunshot wound, said Washington police.
A second individual, suffering from at least one gunshot wound, was found several houses down from the scene of the crime.
The injured individual was carried by stretcher from the inside of the residence to a City of Washington ambulance nearby.
The individual was then transported to Beaufort County Hospital, and eventually transferred to Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville.
Neighbors gathered on the corner of Fleming Street and West Martin Luther King Drive, as a white bed sheet was placed over the front door of the residence at 866 West Martin Luther King Drive.
Rinnell Gilbert Sr., a neighbor and minister at Deeper Life Ministries, said the incident “shocked me.”
Hearing shots fired, Gilbert jumped up and made for his front porch.
Gilbert said he saw the injured individual run from the scene of the crime to a nearby residence. Gilbert said he looked on as a first officer arrived at 866 West Martin Luther King Drive.
Gilbert said he did not know the individuals involved in the altercation personally but that “a lot of people hang out there.”
Like Chrismon, Gilbert suspects that the incident stemmed from a domestic dispute.
The identities of the individuals involved cannot be disclosed at this time, as Washington police attempt to contact family members.