Domestic violence incident led to shooting, standoff in Fayetteville

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to the home near Summerwind Drive and Shaw Road at about 4:15 p.m. for a domestic incident. Donna McCowre said her cousin wanted to break up with a man who she said assaulted and threatened her, which led her to call for help.

"She was with me all day today. She didn't even know that man was in her house," McCowre said. "She tried to get rid of him, he wouldn't go nowhere, saying 'if I can't have you, nobody else will have you, I'll kill you and kill myself.' That's what he was trying to do to her."

Cumberland County Sheriff Ennis Wright said when his deputies arrived on the scene, the man, who was not identified, fired one round at deputies and then when back into the home and refused to come out. A short time later, deputies heard a single gunshot go off.

Cumberland County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sean Swain said authorities attempted to make contact with the man and a response team "shot gas into the trailer and made an announcement for him to come up with his hands up."

A bomb squad deployed a robot just after 5 p.m. to determine if the man was still inside the home. Authorities found the man dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

"The robot when inside and of course the subject was lying inside with a self-inflicted wound," Wright said.

For neighbors, the incident and the heavy law enforcement presence were scenes they were not used to seeing in the small mobile home park.

"I just want to know what's going on and should we be scared for our lives here," said neighbor Teri Johnson.

Wednesday's incident was apparently an isolated domestic violence issue.

"He hit her in the mouth with the gun and pointed the gun to her head, she said," McCowre said.

McCowre said she was relieved that her cousin was able to make it out alive and avoid becoming another domestic violence statistic.