MOUNT AIRY, N.C. (AP) — Four men were killed in a shooting at a northwestern North Carolina television store on Sunday, and authorities said they were looking for a suspect who might be armed with an assault rifle.
Mount Airy Police Chief Dale Watson said at a news conference that the victims were shot in the parking lot of Woods TV store in the town on the Virginia border and less than a mile from the police station. Police said a warrant has been issued for the arrest of Marcos Chavez Gonzalez. He is charged with four counts of murder.
Watson said the victims and the suspect were at the television store for a reason.
"We don't feel this was a random event," Watson said. "We do have an idea why (they were shot), but we won't be releasing that."
Watson said alerts have been issued in North Carolina and Virginia to be on the lookout for Gonzalez. Authorities had detained two men but released them after it was determined that they were not involved in the shooting.
Nursing supervisor Sue Coe at Northern Hospital of Surry County confirmed that two people died at the store around 2:30 p.m. She said two who were wounded died at the hospital, just across the street from the store. Woods TV sells televisions and satellite systems.
Police say the victims' names were being withheld because their families have not been notified. Watson said all four were from Surry County that includes Mount Airy. The town served as the inspiration for the television town of Mayberry in "The Andy Griffith Show."
WXII-TV in Winston-Salem reported that people who knew the victims gathered near the store and began crying and collapsing to the ground.
Mount Airy, with a population of approximately 8,700, is about 100 miles north of Charlotte. Griffith is a native of the town, which has built a tourist trade on nostalgia for the show that continues to thrive in syndication.
National News
Authorities: 4 shot to death at TV store
- National News
-
-
German man wins Empire State Building race again
A German runner has won an annual race up 86 flights of stairs at the Empire State Building for a record seventh straight time.
-
GOP vows to reverse Obama birth control policy
Republicans vowed Wednesday to reverse President Barack Obama's new policy on birth control, lambasting the rule that religious schools and hospitals must provide contraceptive coverage for their employees as an "unambiguous attack on religious freedom in our country."
-
Sheriff unhappy with dispatcher in Powell case
A 911 recording reveals a social worker's urgent attempts over more than six minutes to get a dispatcher to send deputies after Josh Powell locked himself and his two sons in his home.
-
University of North Dakota will use Fighting Sioux nickname
The University of North Dakota will resume using its contentious Fighting Sioux nickname despite threats from the NCAA, the school's president said Wednesday, marking the latest twist in a protracted fight about a name that critics consider offensive.
-
Boehner: Congress to overturn birth control policy
House Speaker John Boehner says if President Barack Obama doesn't reverse a new policy requiring religious schools and hospitals to provide employees with access to free birth control, the Congress will.
-
Police: Powell withdrew $7,000 day before killings
Utah authorities have for at least six months investigated the disappearance of Susan Powell as a murder case. But without a body, they publicly held out hope that she would be found alive.
-
Jury pool narrows in ex-UVa lacrosse player case
Attorneys on Tuesday narrowed their pool of potential jurors in the trial of a former University of Virginia lacrosse player accused of killing his ex-girlfriend.
-
Looking for work? There may be an app for that
Looking for a promising career in a lousy economy? A new study suggests you're apt to find it in apps — the services and tools built to run on smartphones, computer tablets and Facebook's online social network.
-
CDC: Bread beats out chips as biggest salt source
Bread and rolls are the No. 1 source of salt in the American diet, accounting for more than twice as much sodium as salty junk food like potato chips.
-
Court: California gay marriage ban is unconstitutional
A federal appeals court on Tuesday declared California's same-sex marriage ban to be unconstitutional, putting the bitterly contested, voter-approved law on track for likely consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court.
- More National News Headlines
-
German man wins Empire State Building race again
Man Killed in Courthouse Shootout
Video of Ga. Man Who Killed Girl Released
Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service
Ga Girl Fights Off Kidnapper at Walmart
Nevada Highway Patrol, City Settle Beating Case
GOP Vows to Reverse Obama Birth Control Policy
13,000 Is Next Dow Milestone, Record in Sight
Santorum Wins Boost Fundraising, Stifle Romney
U.S. Seeks Political Path to Change in Syria
White House Attacks Romney on Birth Control
Lower-hassle Screening to Be Tested at Airports
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Helmet Camera Captures Calif. Fire Rescue
Worker Tells 911: Powell 'exploded the House'
Triple Win: Santorum Takes Minn., Mo., Colo.
Injured Marine Inspired by Homecoming
No Rape Charges Against Son of NYPD Commissioner
Romney Congratulates Santorum, Focuses on Obama
Paul Says Results Help Him Rack Up Delegates
School Tries to Restore Trust After Abuse Claims
