In North Carolina, a woman, who is a legal firearm owner, used her weapon for self-protection, fatally wounding a man during a road rage dispute in a supermarket parking area, as stated by the regional district attorney.
“It’s crucial for the public to comprehend that our law does not endorse vigilante-style justice. However, it does permit self-defense when there’s a credible threat of imminent death or severe bodily harm,” Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman informed ABC 11.
The incident occurred outside a Food Lion situated at the Greystone Village Shopping Center in Raleigh last Tuesday, post 5 p.m., where 49-year-old Steven McLamb was fatally wounded. Upon reviewing surveillance footage, authorities concluded that McLamb had initiated the confrontation, attempting to forcibly open the woman’s car doors, leading to her shooting him.
“Mr. McLamb instigated the confrontation,” Freeman stated. “He trailed the other party to the parking area and, after exiting his vehicle and trying to enter hers, she responded in self-defense and fatally shot him.”
The confrontation initially started as an aggressive driving episode, as per local news sources. Various video footage and eyewitness accounts were made available to law enforcement during their investigation, Freeman added.
“We had the advantage of access to multiple video recordings. Additionally, local witnesses provided quite a lucid picture of the incident,” Freeman added.
Freeman confirmed that the woman, who remains unnamed, is a legal firearm holder with no previous criminal record.
According to North Carolina’s legal provisions, individuals have the right “to use force to defend themselves when they reasonably fear impending death or severe physical harm,” Freeman stated to the News & Observer.
Following the shooting incident, McLamb was rushed to a nearby hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries.
