Police: ECU employee shot in unprovoked attack near elementary school

Officers took the gunman, 38-year-old Savell Hightower, into custody after an exchange of gunfire.

It started around 8:30 a.m. on East Fifth Street on a sidewalk adjacent to Wahl-Coates Elementary School, the chief said. The employee encountered the man on a bike, and the chief said the gunman fired at least five times.

The victim, a 27-year-old man, had non-life-threatening injuries, according to the chief.

Hightower was seen riding a bike down Fifth Street when an officer tried to stop him.

“The officer exited his vehicle to attempt to detain the individual and was immediately met with gunfire from the suspect’ said the police chief. “As soon as the suspect fired on the officer, the officer along with two additional responding officers, returned fire.”

Hightower wasn't injured and was taken into custody.

Hightower was charged with multiple counts of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon intent to kill inflicting serious injury, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill on an officer, possession of a firearm by felon and possession of a stolen firearm.