North Carolina Man Arrested After Shooting Firefighter During Call

In Ellerbe, North Carolina, firefighter Jerry Lyndon Shepard was shot in the leg by Timothy Lee Hayden while responding to a false fire alarm, with another firefighter, Jerry Louis Scott, narrowly avoiding injury. Hayden, who operates a construction and fire restoration business and co-manages a gun store, was arrested and charged with two counts of assault on emergency personnel with a firearm and one count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or inflict serious injury. The injured firefighter was airlifted to a trauma center at UNC Chapel Hill for treatment. Authorities confirmed no fire was present at the scene, and the motive behind the fire alarm call remains under investigation. The Richmond County Sheriff's Office and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation are actively investigating the shooting, highlighting growing concerns about the safety risks faced by first responders. The Ellerbe Fire Department and local fire rescue agencies have expressed shock and support for the injured firefighters amid this alarming incident.