CLEVELAND COUNTY, N.C. (FOX 46 CHARLOTTE) – A Cleveland County couple is facing multiple charges including child abuse and obstruction of justice after deputies say the couple “staged” a drive-by shooting that seriously injured their 2-year-old son.
The shooting incident occurred on Sunday, May 9, 2021 along Douglas Street in Lawndale.
According to the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, the parents, identified as Lucentio Clark, 38, and Tianna Jumper, 20, disguised the shooting incident as a “drive-by shooting” by staging a crime scene to make it appear that one had happened.
The original call received by 911 is that an unknown shooter shot into the house and a bullet went through the window and struck the child, the sheriff’s office said.
“My son’s been shot! He’s 2-years-old,” a caller said on the phone with 911 as the 2-year-old cried in the background. “It’s a shot through the window. He got stuff coming out of his stomach.”
LISTEN TO THE 911 CALL BELOW:
Evidence collected by the investigators disproves statements made by the parents as to what had happened. During interviews with the parents, they stated that they heard the sound of gunfire outside when the child was shot, deputies said.
“It’s apparent that there was a shot fired from inside the house that struck the child and another that was fired from outside the house after the fact to appear to have come from a ‘drive-by shooting,'” the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office said in a written statement.
Clark has been charged with child abuse/neglect-serious bodily injury, obstructing justice, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and Jumper has been charged with obstructing justice.
The child is still hospitalized and recovering from his injuries, and the investigation is ongoing.
Both parents are being held in the Cleveland County Detention Center as the Department of Social Services is arranging for the young child’s care and well-being, the sheriff’s office said.
“Investigators worked diligently to discover the truth in this tragic case in order to bring the unknown shooter to justice. However, investigators quickly discovered that the case was not a ‘drive-by shooting’ as reported. Our hearts and prayers are with the child as he recovers from his injuries,” Sheriff Norman stated.
Source: Fox 8 News Channel
Be First to Comment