Murder-suicide leaves 2 dead, 1 injured in Monkey Junction

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Two people are dead and one more is in the hospital after what New Hanover County deputies are calling a murder-suicide in Monkey Junction.

New Hanover County Sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Jerry Brewer said the shooting happened at the Murphy USA gas station along Carolina Beach Road in front of Walmart around 4 p.m. Friday.

Brewer said investigators believe the situation is contained, and they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the shooting.

Sheriff Ed McMahon said the person taken to the hospital is suffering from life-threatening injuries.

“We do have two deceased white males, and we have a white female that is at the hospital. It is going to be a murder-suicide,” McMahon said. “The community at large is safe. We are not looking for any other suspects.”

Witness Cayne Benincasa said he got to the scene before law enforcement.

“When I pulled up we thought it was a robbery, but then when we came over there were cops pulling in just getting out of their car, and there was a body laying in the ditch,” Benincasa said. “And so, we kinda just figured out it was a murder or something because he wasn’t moving or anything. Eventually, the cops came over and told us stuff. Told us we had to go and that we couldn’t be there. And when we pulled up we didn’t know what was going on, and then we saw the body, and then the cops came over and a guy in camo was just sitting there and he kinda went down to his knees and put his hands over his head and all the cops came over and surrounded him.”

McMahon says the investigation continues. The names of the victims and shooter have not yet been released.