Wednesday, Jul. 14, 2010

Fuquay-Varina man, 40, shoots one man, then self, police say

A man died from an apparent suicide after sending an acquaintance to WakeMed hospital with a gunshot wound to the foot.

The wounded man, William Columbus Martin, 40, fled the home at 701 E. Maple Lane about 10 a.m. on July 5. Neighbors said they saw the other man running toward the back of the small house in a quiet residential section north of downtown.

Fuquay-Varina police arrived, surrounded the house and sequestered neighbors inside their homes.

At 10:46 a.m., officers heard a single gunshot from inside the house.

Heavily armed deputies with the Wake County Sheriff's Special Response Team approached the house and found Gregory Carver Higgs, 37, dead in the crawlspace, according to Fuquay-Varina Police Chief Larry Smith. Investigators think Higgs shot himself.

Police say Higgs shot at Martin several times. Neighbors heard the initial gunshots, but most thought they were leftover fireworks from the Fourth of July.

Daryl Park, who lives across the street from the house, has handled firearms and feared the worst. He called 911 reporting what he thought were at least five gunshots.

"I was more or less hoping it was firecrackers," Park said.

"In my mind, it was no doubt it was gunshots," said his wife, Ashley Park, who also heard the "horrible" sound of a woman screaming.

Bullet casings and a gun clip lay in the street, along with drops of blood, apparently from Martin, who was transported to Fuquay-Varina Fire Station No. 1 in an SUV before being taken by ambulance to WakeMed.

"The shooting apparently started over an argument of [Higgs'] being at the residence after being told not to be there," according to a news release from the police department.

Neighbors said a large family had lived in the house for the past couple of years but had spent the past week moving out. They also said police had responded to the home last week.

"They've had so much trouble at that house over there," said Margaret Kizis, 85, who lives across the street.