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‘Tried to shoot me’: Gastonia police look for man accused of shooting at another car

GASTONIA, N.C. — Gastonia police are asking for help finding a man who is accused of firing shots at another car last week.

Gaston County Reporter Ken Lemon spoke to a person who was in the car the suspect shot at a gas station on Cox Road. Johnny Roberts told Lemon this all started as an argument.

Roberts said the argument happened on Interstate 85 last week when someone in the car next to him started yelling at him. He said both cars pulled over but the other car sped off.

Roberts told Lemon when he got to the gas station on Cox Road, he realized that car was behind him. Seconds later, he learned that driver’s friends were in the car in front of him.

Roberts shared a picture with Lemon of the bullet holes in his car from that scary confrontation. He said he had two passengers in the backseat.

“It keeps replaying back in my head,” he said. “It could have ended really, really bad.”

Roberts said he drove towards the Arby’s next door and noticed two people running towards him. He said he could tell one was reaching for a gun. He said he couldn’t believe a shouting match had led to all of this.

“They took it to an extreme level and tried to shoot me,” he said.

Roberts said the shooter fired two shots, but the gun jammed as he pulled the trigger a third time.

“If it probably wouldn’t have been for that, he probably would have got one of the guys in my backseat,” he said.

On Friday, police released pictures of the car they say the shooter was in. Witnesses say the alleged gunman was a passenger.

Roberts said that man and his friend came very close to being murder suspects.

“Don’t do it again. Turn yourself in,” he said.

He said he drove around the restaurant, allowing him to get away.

Thankfully, no one was hurt in the incident.

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