Two Women Shot At During Burlington Bingo Game

July 16th, 2009

Bingo Shooting

At 2 pm on Sunday, the 12th of July, two women were shot at while they were engaged in a game of bingo at the Veterans of Foreign War Post bingo hall at 634 West Webb Avenue in Burlington, North Carolina. The victims were identified as 24 year old Jessica Stephens and 77 year old pensioner Betty Garner. Ms. Stevens was shot several times and was airlifted to the Duke Medical Center in Durham where emergency surgery was performed on her. Her condition was initially listed as critical, but there was some improvement on Monday. Ms. Garner was shot only once and was taken to the Alamance Regional Medical Center. She was discharged on Sunday night itself.

A few minutes after the shooting, a man identified as Neil White III of Gibsonville, NC turned himself in claiming responsibility for the attack. Assistant Police Chief Greg Seel said that the suspect was involved in a domestic dispute with Jessica Stephens. He also added that Mr. White led them to the trashcan where he had disposed off the gun after the shooting. Mr. White has since been charged with attempted first degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with intent to kill and possession of a firearm by a felon.

At the time of the incident there were 15 other bingo players present. The shooting happened immediately after the bingo game commenced. Peggy Bowman, daughter of the second victim Ms. Garner, said that her mother was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. She said that her mother regularly plays at the Moose Lodge and this was only her second or third time at the VFW bingo hall. The VFW bingo hall is open to public on Sunday afternoons. She went on to add that her mother had told her that she had heard loud voices and then gunshots. As she got up to get under the table, she got shot in her thigh. Ms. Bowman also believes that it was not a direct shot but a ricochet bullet that got to her. While she has for now been discharged from the Alamance Regional Medical Center, doctors have still not removed the bullet in her buttocks. For this they plan to consult experts at Chapel Hill. Ms. Garner and Ms. Stephens were not acquainted with one other.

The suspect has on record at least one other case of assault on a female which involves Ms. Stephens. On Feb 21, Ms Stephens had placed a call to the Burlington Police Department complaining that Mr. White, who she referred to as her ex-boyfriend at the time, had ‘pushed her’. Mr. White was slated to appear in court on August 13 for the hearing on that charge. Apart from this he has also served two years in prison on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with intent to kill in 2001.

For now the suspect remains in custody of the Burlington Police in the Alamance County jail. Bail has been set for $100,000.

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Two Women Shot At During Burlington Bingo Game

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