Man with assault rifle involved in attack at Bessemer City park, police say

BESSEMER CITY, N.C. — Police are investigating an attack involving an assault rifle at a park along S. 14th St. in Bessemer
city Monday night.

Children were on the playground, and 100 seniors were at bingo nearby, investigators said.

Police have a very good video of the assault that they have not released yet, but they did share it with Action 9 reporter Jason Stoogenke.

He said it shows a man with the rifle run onto the court and, with two other people, stomp on and punch a victim multiple times.

At one point, it looked like the gunman tries to shoot the victim, but when he pulls the trigger, he doesn't seem to have realized that the magazine had fallen out.

Nancy Capps saw the drama unfold first hand.

“We decided we'd stand over by the wall and be a little bit safer,” she said.

Police believe it's a gang-related incident and related to some shots fired in Gastonia last night.

“We've identified the people, identified the charges, so we're getting close to making arrests,” Bessemer City Police Department Chief Thomas Ellis said.

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