Williams

James Randolph Williams Jr., 25, was located hiding in a room of the establishment, which, according to the city, is now classified as a rooming house.

He was jailed on $52,000 bond and has a January 27 court to answer to charges of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury; possession of a firearm by a felon; possession of schedule II; possession of schedule VI and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also served three outstanding warrants for larceny; communicating threats and assault on a female.

Motive remains unclear but a resident of the Jackson Street flophouse said, “Drugs,” as he overheard rrspin and Roanoke Rapids Police Chief Chuck Hasty discussing the matter while investigators searched the room where Williams was staying this morning. Hasty declined comment.

The police chief did say investigators found evidence in the room during the morning search.

In a statement on the matter, Hasty said Officer Dale Strickland and others responded around 11:50 p.m. to a shots fired call at the Carolina Inn.

When officers arrived they found the victim lying on Jackson Street with a gunshot wound to the lower body.

Lieutenant Jeff Baggett, Sergeant Mike Moseley, Master Officer Gorton Williams and officers Adam Salmon and Alex Green assisted.

With a number of crimes already reported at the Carolina Inn this year, Hasty said the police department is looking into all legal avenues for possible nuisance abatement, a civil process which could determine what to do with the property.

Meanwhile, Kelly Lasky, the city's planning and development director, said the city received notice some time ago the Carolina Inn lost its certification as a hotel or motel.

She said the city considers it a rooming house and will investigate complaints it has received on the Carolina Inn upon a request from the police department.

The nature of complaints the planning department has received are about sanitary conditions of the establishment.