LUMBER BRIDGE — A long-haul trucker says he witnessed the shooting of a man in Lumber Bridge on Tuesday and watched him die.
One person has been charged with murder in the death of 22-year-old Gregory Harris Jr. — but the trucker says more were involved.
“There was more than one shooter, and they executed this kid,” said the man, who called The Robesonian with his story and provided his full name. The newspaper has decided to only use his first name, which is Steven. He lives in Oklahoma.
The shooting took place about 1 a.m. Tuesday in the parking lot of Café 71, located on N.C. 71, according to a Robeson County Sheriff’s Office spokesman. When deputies arrived, Harris was lying on the ground dead near the gas pumps, according to Maj. Anthony Thompson.
Steven Lewis Lugo-Perez was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, according to Thompson. He was placed in the Robeson County Detention Center under a $100,000 secured bond.
Investigators believe the shooting was the result of an argument about Lugo-Perez’s girlfriend.
“I’m the one who called 911, and I’m also the first one to touch this kid to see if he was still alive,” Steven said.
Holders of a commercial driver’s license are required by law to stay at the scene of an accident, or in this case, a shooting or other criminal act, he said. They are considered first responders.
“Because we’re everywhere,” Steven said.
Emergency medical personnel arrived about 15 minutes after he called 911.
He believes there were multiple shooters because of the number of shots in rapid succession he heard, Steven said. He watched as Harris flapped his arms while he was being shot.
“I heard his death scream,” Steven said.
It’s a sound that haunts him, he said.
He watched as cars “screamed” out of the parking lot after the shooting, and saw what he said was a black Cadillac Escalade drive over Harris’ body.
Steven said he is willing to testify if it helps bring Harris’ killers to justice.
“I was the last person to be with the kid,” he said. “I feel obligated to him.”
The Robesonian was unable to get anyone from the Sheriff’s Office to respond to Steven’s comments. The newspaper did provide his name and phone number to the District Attorney’s Office.