GASTONIA, N.C. — A Gastonia Police Department investigation has determined that a man shot on July 12 was injured while attempting to break into a residence, not during a drive-by shooting as initially reported. Cedric Ford, 57, was struck by a single gunshot wound fired by the homeowner on Ware Avenue in Gastonia. Ford and his girlfriend, 47-year-old Sanja Stallings, were subsequently arrested on burglary and obstruction charges, police said.
Officers initially responded to a report of a male suffering from a gunshot wound at the QuikTrip located at 1843 W. Franklin Blvd. at approximately 7:17 a.m. on July 12. Ford and Stallings told officers that an unknown person in a white vehicle had shot Ford near South Washington Street and Overman Avenue before fleeing the area. Detectives began investigating the reported shooting, conducting neighborhood canvasses, interviewing witnesses and gathering evidence.
Investigators shifted their focus to the Ware Avenue area after learning Ford and Stallings were suspects in a July 2 robbery reported there, police said.
Detectives utilized the Gastonia Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center and Flock Safety’s Audio Detection system. This system identified the sound of a gunshot at approximately 7:14 a.m., within roughly 100 feet of the Ware Avenue address that had reported the crime.
How the tech works:
The Gastonia Police Department uses a network of 158 gunshot detection receivers placed throughout the city as part of Gastonia’s Flock Camera initiative. These devices work together to detect gunshot sounds and use triangulation technology to help determine the approximate location of an incident.
The sensors do not continuously record audio; they activate when an impulsive sound triggers them, police said.
Alerts are then transmitted to the Real Time Crime Center, where crime analysts can provide real-time updates to responding patrol units.
Investigation continues:
Detectives responded to the Ware Avenue location and spoke with the homeowner, an elderly disabled resident. The homeowner reported being the victim of multiple burglaries and robberies within the previous month involving the suspects. The homeowner told investigators he did not know he had struck Ford but did know his actions stopped the attempted break-in.
Through the investigation, detectives determined that Ford was attempting to break into the residence at approximately 7:13 a.m. when the homeowner fired a single round through a window, striking Ford in the chest. After being shot, Ford drove himself and Stallings to the QuikTrip on West Franklin Boulevard, where they called 911 and waited for emergency responders.
Investigators determined the initial account provided by Ford and Stallings regarding the circumstances of the shooting was false.
Ford was hospitalized for his gunshot wound. Upon his release from the hospital, he was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree burglary and felony obstruction of justice. Stallings was arrested and charged with first-degree burglary. The homeowner will not face charges.
The case remains under investigation. Additional charges related to the attempted burglary and false reporting are pending review by the Gaston County District Attorney’s Office.