ROCKINGHAM — A man is facing four felony charges after allegedly shooting into a vehicle on Friday.
An arrest warrant, issued to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, alleges that 43-year-old Eddie Lee Haywood Jr., of the Hamlet area, fired a Taurus GX2 into a 2013 Buick Enclave while it was in operation and occupied by a male and female.
According to the sheriff's office, deputies responded to the Ridgeview Drive area, south of Hamlet, shortly after noon following a report of someone being shot.
Deputies reportedly found 54-year-old James Thomas Griggs Jr. with a gunshot wound to the upper part of his body.
Griggs was reportedly taken to a trauma center for treatment.
He was booked into the Richmond County Jail at 6:41 p.m. and is being held without bond. Haywood is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 6.
I am very proud of the collaboration among our Patrol deputies, the Criminal Investigation Division, the North Carolina Highway Patrol, the ATF, members of the Rockingham Police Department, and members of the Hamlet Police Department for their outstanding efforts throughout this investigation and the subsequent apprehension of the suspect," Sheriff Mark Gulledge said in a press release posted to the department's Facebook page.
"Based on the facts developed during this investigation, we believe this to have been an isolated incident, and there is no known ongoing threat to the public."
Online court records show Haywood has a pending charge of driving while license revoked.
While records with the N.C. Department of Adult Correction show no prior criminal convictions, court records show Haywood was found guilty of violating a domestic violence protective order in 2021.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
NOTE: This story has been updated to include information from the sheriff's office. 10:34 p.m. 7-24-26.
