Bullet Strikes Dugout As Players Arrive For Ball Practice

KENLY, N.C. – A bullet struck a ballfield dugout near Kenly as people were beginning to arrive for practice, prompting an investigation by the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office.

No injuries were reported, and investigators said the Glendale Chapel Recreation ballfield and the people there were not targeted.

The incident was reported around 5:44 p.m. Aug. 26 at the recreation facility at 1600 Glendale Road.

A few people had begun arriving ahead of a scheduled 6 p.m. practice. A coach was preparing the softball infield when gunshots were heard nearby, according to authorities.

Law enforcement was immediately called.

Deputies responding to the area determined the gunfire was apparently connected to an altercation at a nearby address on Beulahtown Road.

Investigators believe the dispute may have involved a Selma man and a Smithfield woman. Deputies said they received differing accounts of what happened and are continuing to sort through the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.

Multiple shots were fired during the incident.

At least one round traveled to the recreation property and struck a dugout, causing damage. Deputies also discovered that the door of an SUV belonging to one of the people involved in the nearby altercation had been struck by gunfire.

Investigators recovered six spent shell casings described as .556 ammunition and two spent .22-caliber shell casings from the Beulahtown Road scene.

Despite the proximity of the gunfire to the ballfield, authorities said there is no indication the coach, players or others arriving for practice were intentionally targeted.

The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office investigation remains ongoing.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the sheriff’s office.