Sanford officer, two others shot outside community center

"I'm praying for peace in my community, because I have a young son who is 9 year old – and what's going on out there, I don't want it to continue to go on with him," the Sanford mother said Sunday afternoon after attending church services.

The shooting happened outside M.T. Burch Center, at 1122 Boykin Ave., at about 11:35 p.m. as two officers were responding to a disturbance call.

Several people approached the officers, shots were fired at the officers and the officers returned fire, authorities said.

One officer was hit in the upper thigh. Two people in the group were hit by return fire from the officers.

About 75 teenagers were inside the community center at the time.

"It was just a young teen party, no alcohol, no drugs, no beer, none of that," said Milton Burch, who owns the building.

The party was unrelated to the shooting, police said.

The injured officer was treated and released from Central Carolina Hospital. Police have not released the officer's name.

Darrell Naquan Hill, 19, of 2906 Cameron Drive, was arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault on law enforcement officer with a firearm and one count of possession of a stolen firearm.

Hill was treated for shoulder and head injuries and was released from Central Carolina Hospital. He remained at the Lee County jail Sunday under a $500,000 bond.

A second suspect was taken to UNC Hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. Charges are pending upon his release.

The State Bureau of Investigation is looking into the shooting and the involved officers have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard in officer-involved shootings.

For Reed, the shooting has left her concerned for her son.

"It is very scary because my son, I want a different world for my son," she said. "I would love for it to get better. I just don't know how. I can help my son but I can't help everyone else's, but I can try."