GASTONIA, N.C. (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) – Gastonia Police are searching for a person in connection to the shooting death of a 14-year-old girl.
The incident happened Tuesday afternoon just outside of downtown in the parking lot of a bail bonding company.
Rodgers Bail Bonding has been open on North Chester Street in Gastonia since 2013. Owner Micholas Rodgers says this is the first time there has been any trouble.
“Obviously in our neighborhood we deal with a lot of violence,” said Rodgers. “But to see that firsthand right at your door obviously is something that you’ll never forget.”
Rodgers says a car pulled up to the property and employees were helping a person trying to get a loved one out of jail, but the company was unable to execute the bond.
“Only one person came inside the establishment,” added Rodgers. “The rest stayed outside. They heard something, a yell or scream on the outside.”
“I heard some shooting,” said Antonio Lambert, who lives behind the business. “But I thought it was back that way, I didn’t pay any attention. I laid there ten more minutes and said let me look out the window, I looked out the window and that’s when I saw the police lined up.”
The shot hit a 14-year-old girl. Police say the call for help came in at 1:18 p.m.Tuesday.
“When officers arrived, they realized the 14-year-old female victim was suffering from a gunshot wound,” said Rick Goodale, public information officer for the Gastonia police department. “She was immediately rushed to a local hospital where unfortunately she succumbed to her injuries.”
Investigators searched for the getaway vehicle, and found it abandoned in a neighboring county. They are still looking for whoever is responsible.
“We tried to pull up some footage from the cameras and just trying to know who we dealt with as far as the car, the cars that came in the parking lot and the individuals that came into the office,” said Rodgers.
If you have any information about the crime, call Gastonia Police.