CARY, N.C. (WNCN) — Tuesday, a man was taken into custody after a little girl was shot in a vehicle early Monday evening along U.S. 1 in Cary in what police later said was a road rage incident, closing highway lanes with traffic earlier backed up about a mile.
In a news release, the Cary Police Department said officers arrested Charles Edward Stevenson Jr., 20, shortly before 8 p.m. After questioning he underwent processing in the Wake County Jail where he was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle.
“It is always tragic to hear about innocent people getting hurt in crimes, especially young children,” Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht said in a statement. “My thoughts and prayers will be with the family.”
The shooting was reported just after 6 p.m. along northbound U.S. 1 near the Cary Parkway exit ramp, according to the Cary Police Department and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Police later said the incident was the result of a “road rage altercation that started on U.S. 64” and continued as both vehicles took the ramp onto northbound U.S. 1. That is where the shooting happened, according to police.
“Upon arrival, officers discovered that a five-year-old juvenile had been struck by a bullet while traveling in a vehicle,” Cary police said in the release.
Police said the child was immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and after several medical is, “currently in stable condition and is expected to recover from her injuries.”
“While we are not disclosing the names of those involved, we are pleased to hear that she is making progress in her recovery,” Cary police said in a statement.
The incident is being investigated as aggravated assault.
“It doesn’t make any sense,” driver Manouchka Saintgeorges said. “It’s not really not that serious for someone to get that upset and hurt a five-year-old. It’s heartbreaking to hear.”
Anyone with additional information about the incident, the vehicle or the suspect is asked to call the Cary Police Department at (919) 469-4012.
Following the incident, Cary police offered the following advice if a driver gets aggressive:
- Do not engage. Avoid eye contact, honking, or retaliatory gestures. Engaging can escalate the situation.
- Keep your distance. Change lanes or slow down to give the aggressive driver space to move on.
- Avoid stopping. If you believe you’re being followed, drive to a public location such as a police or fire station—never to your home.
- Call 911. If you feel threatened or unsafe, call 911 and provide details about the location, vehicle description, and direction of travel.
- Be a good witness. If it’s safe to do so, note details such as license plate, make, model, and behavior. Do not put yourself at risk to collect information.
“I wouldn’t do anything to escalate it because you don’t know who has guns,” driver Rod Davis. “I’m not trying to get shot.”
Three northbound lanes were closed with traffic backed up to Tryon Road, NCDOT maps indicate. The lanes reopened late Tuesday night.
