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A shocking incident unfolded in Sanford, North Carolina, where a man, sporting a sparse mullet, allegedly attempted to murder several individuals within a home. After the attack, he made an unusual getaway on a lawnmower, as reported by authorities.
The suspect, 62-year-old Woodrow Allen Smith, was accused of firing a shotgun at a woman and two children within the residence. According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and The Charlotte Observer, Smith attempted to escape the scene on a lawnmower, reaching speeds between 5 to 8 mph.
In a further disturbing twist, Smith allegedly choked one of the children with his bare hands and issued threats of further violence using his firearm, as detailed by the news outlet.
The nature of Smith’s relationship with the woman and children involved in the incident remains unclear.
According to reports, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office was alerted to a domestic disturbance, where a suspect was reportedly firing a shotgun at individuals within a residence, prompting their response, as stated in the official release.
“The suspect, Woodrow Allen Smith, fled the scene on a riding lawnmower while carrying the firearm and was last seen heading east toward a nearby storage building,” the sheriff added.
Deputies later found the getaway-mower abandoned in that same area and initiated a search for him, officials said.
Police eventually found Allen and he was captured, brought into custody, and slapped with a laundry list of charges — four felonies and a misdemeanor.
Those charges include attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, discharging a firearm into occupied property, possession of a firearm by a felon, and simple assault, according to police.
Smith is now being held in the Lee County Jail without bond.