The gun used to fire out of a Ford minivan Thursday on Banks School Road remains missing, as does a man deemed the “fifth suspect” by the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Chris Hill said Friday morning the gun found by investigators near the ABC-123 Academy day care was not the one used by the suspects in the shooting.
“We think there is a second weapon involved here,” Hill said. “We did recover the shell casing of the weapon that fired the bullet out there on Banks School Road, toward (U.S.) 70 — the one the motorist (who called 911) found. But, we found another weapon that was locked and loaded and ready to go right next to the day care facility, ABC-123. We know that’s not the same weapon that fired the bullet that was found on the highway out there.”
He added, “So, we know we have a second weapon. Our fifth suspect may be running around with it, or he placed it on the ground to keep from being caught with it.”
In addition to the three men arrested Thursday, a fourth was taken into custody, but he was later released. Hill said a Greenville police officer who lives in the Falling Creek area discovered the man on his property and detained him until deputies could arrive at the scene. An LCSO news release stated the man remains a person of interest in the case.
As to the fifth suspect, deputies have an idea for whom they’re looking.
“There may be a fifth person that we are still trying to identify,” Hill said. “We’ve already gotten some good leads on his identity. We are working with other agencies to see if these folks were involved in any other incidents around Lenoir County.”
The three men arrested Thursday evening in connection with the incident are Dashawn Dail, 21, Dedrick Dail Jr., 19, and Allen Drew McMillan Jr., 52. Each man was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Dashawn Dail recently spent between October 2011 and May 2013 in state prison on a consolidated judgment for three felony breaking and entering counts, assault with intent to inflict serious injury and possessing a stolen firearm.
Dedrick Dail Jr., Dashawn’s brother, was in state prison from September 2011 to February 2013 for once count of felony breaking and entering and two counts of possessing stolen goods.
McMillan’s most recent documented run-in with law enforcement resulted in a conviction for assault on a female and 24 months on probation, which ended Sunday.
The three men were placed into the Lenoir County Detention Center under $40,000 bonds.
Wes Wolfe can be reached at 252-559-1075 and Wes.Wolfe@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter @WolfeReports.