IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — A man has been arrested after allegedly opening fire on a car carrying several juveniles during a late-night prank in Iredell County, injuring one teen in the leg on Sunday night.
The incident occurred around 11:20 p.m. when Iredell County deputies heard gunshots while conducting a traffic stop nearby. The sheriff’s office received a 911 call reporting a person with a gunshot wound shortly thereafter.
The juveniles were participating in a prank known as “ding-dong ditch,” ringing doorbells at neighboring homes before the incident occurred.
Upon arrival, deputies found an unoccupied vehicle in the roadway with broken glass and bullet holes, along with five juveniles in a nearby field.
One of the teens was suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg and was transported to Wake Forest Baptist Hospital for treatment.
Craig Steven Mason, identified as the shooter, told deputies he was awakened by the noise and retrieved a handgun to investigate.
“I retrieved a handgun and went outside to investigate the incident,” Mason stated during questioning.
Mason told Channel 9 that the kids were trying to break into his side bedroom.
He claimed he fired multiple rounds at a vehicle he saw driving through the neighborhood without headlights, striking the car four times, which injured one of the passengers.
Detectives later confirmed that the juveniles had not approached Mason’s residence, only visited nearby homes and the investigation included interviews with witnesses and collection of physical evidence, including surveillance video.
Neighbor Raymond McNeeley said he saw emergency vehicles rush down the road after the shooting.
He doesn’t understand the violence.
“Kinda can see both sides but if they weren’t bringing any hostility,” he said. “I don’t see the reason to shoot them just because they’re playing a prank.”
Mason has been charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, five counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon and felony discharging a weapon into an occupied vehicle causing serious bodily injury. He was jailed without bond.
The injured child remains in a hospital.
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