Friend speaks about man who survived shooting in Concord

CONCORD, N.C. — Concord police talked for the second time Wednesday since a deadly triple shooting that occurred Tuesday.

Police are being very careful about what they are releasing in the case but they have identified the victims and the shooter.

Police said the shooting victims are James Blanks, 49, and Sharon Crumitie, 55.

Police said Crumitie's husband, Timothy, 47, survived the shooting at the house on Gibson Drive.

It is the same Timothy Crumitie who Channel 9 spoke with three years ago soon after he was released from jail after murder charges against him in Mecklenburg County had been dismissed.

Crumitie told police that he and his wife were at home when Blanks came in and confronted them, and that Blanks shot his wife before Crumitie was able to take the gun away and fire back.

And it's very clear that police are looking very carefully at his story.

"We're going by what he has told us. We're following up on that with him again. He was the only witness we have at this point," said Concord Police Chief Guy Smith.

Samuel Hood said he saw Blanks just hours before he was shot on Gibson Drive and said his friend didn't do what Crumitie is accusing him of.

Crumitie is a pastor and told police Blanks tried to rob him in his garage Tuesday afternoon.

Blank's friend couldn't believe it.

"He don't bother nobody, he wouldn't hurt nobody," Hood said.

Crumitie holds services at the Place of Grace Church inside a Kannapolis Fairfield Inn every Sunday.

Channel 9 last spoke with Crumitie in 2010 after he was released from jail. He was arrested in 2005 and accused of murdering a business partner, but the charges were dropped.

Concord police said they are investigating if there is a connection between Blanks and Crumitie.

WSOC