HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A 7-year-old boy was among three people shot while inside a vehicle just off the interstate in Orange County on Wednesday morning, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office confirmed to CBS 17 that calls regarding a shooting into a vehicle came in just after 7:50 a.m. in the area of Industrial Drive, which is off where Interstate-40 turns into Interstate-85 just outside of Mebane.
According to authorities, a man, a woman, and a 7-year-old boy showed up at UNC Hospital’s Hillsborough Campus in a vehicle riddled with bullets and with a smoking engine to seek treatment for gunshot wounds.
Mebane police have blocked off Industrial Drive as they investigate an early-morning shooting on Wednesday (Crystal Price). 
Authorities are investigating a shooting that occurred just off I-40/I-85 in Mebane (Crystal Price/CBS 17) 
Authorities are investigating a shooting that occurred just off I-40/I-85 in Mebane (Crystal Price/CBS 17) 
Authorities are investigating a shooting that occurred just off I-40/I-85 in Mebane (Crystal Price/CBS 17)
The sheriff’s office said two of the three victims have since been transported to UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill. All three victims sustained non-life threatening injuries, authorities said.
It’s not known at this time what led up to the shooting. Sheriff Charles Blackwood said the shooting was not a road rage incident and that it was also not a random shooting.
“This was not an act of someone was just riding down the road and they got shot. There was more to it,” Blackwood said.
Blackwood said the suspect’s vehicle was following the victim before the shooting occurred.
“One vehicle was behind the victim’s vehicle trailing it. As they overtook it in the other lane, they fired on that vehicle,” Blackwood said. “We do not believe that the other vehicle fired back.”
Blackwood said there are concerns about possible retaliation and they have police protection at the hospital for the victims.
“We do feel there was some knowledge of who these parties were and as with any situation like this, it’s very possible there will be some retaliation by one of the members involved,” Blackwood said. ‘That’s why our investigation is moving as fast as it is.”
Orange County investigators are contacting businesses near where the shooting occurred to see if anyone has surveillance footage of the shooting.
People who live and work on Industrial Drive were surprised to hear something like this happened, as they said the area is typically quiet.
“I haven’t heard of anything else happening here before,” said one woman who works in the area who didn’t want to give her name. “Where I work is pretty safe.”
Blackwood said they do not have any suspect information to release at this time, but he said they do have some individuals they are talking to, which he said will probably lead to some charges.
If anyone has information on this crime, contact the Orange County Sheriff’s Office at 919-245-2900. You can also call Investigator Kevin Stewart at 919-245-2925.
