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Lakewood Country Club Brawl: One Victim Dies After Multiple People Are Shot, Stabbed, And Beaten

By Jennifer Ricketts
Published on: 14:07 PST, Jul 3, 2016

A brawl at the Lakewood Country Club left three people with gunshot wounds, one person stabbed, and two others beaten, officials said early Sunday. The Sampson County Sheriff’s Office said multiple 911 calls were made soon after 2:30 a.m. about gunshots and fighting taking place.

Sampson County Sheriff’s Office personnel, Sampson County EMS and Roseboro Rescue and EMS personnel responded to the 911 calls. When emergency personnel arrived at the scene, they also found two people who had been beaten, NBC News reports.

“Responding deputies discovered several groups fighting upon their arrival and attempted to break up the fights,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

Located outside of Salemburg, North Carolina, the country club had been rented out for a private party.

A member of the Lakewood Country Club’s board, Jerry Faircloth, lives near the club and said he heard at least a dozen gunshots and screaming coming from the club. He believes changes will be made to the rental policy, which is rented out often for events such as wedding receptions and parties.

“We’ll be more careful about who we rent the clubhouse to,” Faircloth said.

The following description of the country club can be found on the Lakewood Country Club website.

“Founded in 1966, Lakewood provides a beautiful swimming pool complex, an attractive and spacious Club House for all events and a public 18 hole, par 72, golf course. Placed among large long leaf pines populated by amazing fox squirrels, you will find a beautiful setting for your recreational activities. Individual and family memberships are available.”

One of the victims who was shot died Sunday afternoon from his injuries after the brawl was broken up, ABC 11 reports. The victim is identified as Anthony King of Roseboro.

King was going to be airlifted to a hospital, but the airlift was canceled due to his condition. He went into emergency surgery after being taken to Sampson Regional Medical Center. King was then transferred to Wake Med where he died a little while after noon on Sunday, according to a spokesperson for the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office.

Star Royal, also of Roseboro, was physically assaulted during the country club brawl and was treated at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center for severe head trauma. Daniel Cleveland Cooper, of Salemburg, was treated for a non-life threatening gunshot wound. Mary Denise Rich, of Huntington, New York, suffered a stab wound and a non-life threatening gunshot wound. She was treated at Sampson Regional.

One victim of a stabbing and another victim of physical assault were treated at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. These two victims have not been identified at this time.

In addition to the above six victims, one deputy was taken to Sampson Regional for minor injuries, including a cut on the arm, and a different deputy’s vehicle was hit by people fleeing from the scene. That deputy was not injured.

Crime scene tape at the Lakewood Country Club was removed by noon on Sunday after authorities finished collecting evidence and conducting interviews, but tire marks could still be seen in the center of the parking lot and elsewhere.

There isn’t a clear motive as to how the fight started, and no arrests have been made at this time.

The Lakewood Country Club brawl remains under investigation, according to the sheriff’s office.

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