Editor’s Note: This article has been updated with information reflecting Long is an employee of the Orange County government.
A reported road rage incident in Hillsborough led to a shooting that injured a child on Halloween night, with authorities charging a man on Tuesday morning.
Kelly Long, a 41-year-old Hurdle Mills resident, was charged by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office on four counts of Assault with a Deadly Weapon With Intent to Kill. Both the sheriff’s office and Hillsborough Police Department investigated the incident overnight, as the shooting occurred both inside and outside Hillsborough town limits.
Investigators say the incident started shortly before 7 p.m. on NC-86 north of Hillsborough, as two vehicles were traveling south. Tuesday’s update says sheriff’s investigators believe Long was in an SUV “chasing” another driver in a sedan, allegedly firing a gun several times at the car.
The sheriff’s office says a deputy later located shell casings along Miller Road, northwest of downtown Hillsborough. Monday’s initial report says additional shots were fired near Revere Road before the sedan driver pulled over at the Shell and Quality Mart station off U.S. Highway 70 and spoke with responding sheriff’s deputies.
The gunshots caused damage to the victim’s vehicle and grazed a four-year-old who was strapped into a car seat. The child suffered a slight burn wound on his back from a bullet lodged into the seat; Hillsborough police say he was treated on-scene for non-life-threatening injuries.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office says its investigation was aided by a resident along Miller Road whose security system caught video footage of the shooting as the two vehicles drove by.
Read the full statement from the Town of Hillsborough.
A spokesperson for Orange County confirmed to Chapelboro Long is employed by the county government as a solid waste collector. He was hired in 2014 and previously faced no disciplinary actions while working for Orange County, who still employs him.
As of Tuesday morning, Long was in the Orange County Detention Center under a $50,000 secured bond. The sheriff’s office says will make his first appearance in court at 2:00 p.m.
“Reckless and aggressive driving is dangerous for drivers, passengers, and the general public,” Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood said in a release on the incident. “As motorists, we never know if other drivers have weapons, nor do we know they are able to control themselves when angry. Do not engage. Drive to a safe, well-lit area and call for help.”
If you witnessed the shootings or have any information, contact Investigator Kyle Borland with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office at 919-245-2915.
Photo via the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
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