Police: Monroe teen shot in face during drive-by shooting

MONROE, N.C. — A teenager was taking pictures with his friends Tuesday afternoon when he was shot in the face during a drive-by shooting in Monroe.

Police said the 16-year old is recovering after several shots were fired at the friends from a car around 4:45 p.m. on Hough Street.

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The teens said they were outside taking pictures when a car pulled up and someone in it started shooting.

Tyneal Rorie was among the group of friends when gunshots were fired.

“Any of us could’ve died,” Rorie said.

One of the teens was struck in the face but is expected to recover.

“He got hit in the mouth,” said Nigel Dubose. “It went through his lip, hit his teeth, knocked out two of his teeth.”

“I just thank God he’s still here,” said Tangela Calhoun, the victim’s aunt. “It could’ve been the other way around. He could be dead.”

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Investigators are still talking to witnesses and people who live in the neighborhood to find out who was in the vehicle, who fired the shots and why.

“I don’t even know who did it,” Rorie said.

“There’s too many young kids losing their life on account of guns,” Calhoun said. “They’ve got to put these guns away. We’ve got to get them off the street.”

Police spokesman Pete Hovanec said that if the shooter turns out to be a teen, part of the investigation will be how that person got a gun.

“We will look at where that gun came from, how that individual obtained that weapon, whether or not that weapon was used in any other crimes,” Hovanec said.

Investigators said they do have some very promising leads, but no arrests have been made.

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