CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Channel 9 asked officials how safe rest stops are one day after a man was convicted of shooting a father at a Cabarrus County rest stop.
[Arrest made in rest stop shooting]
None of the state-run rest stops in the area have security guards during the day or night and Highway Patrol troopers aren't mandated to spend long periods of time there.
A rest-stop on Interstate 77 in Mecklenburg County has a welcome center, which means more people are there throughout the day.
That's not the case at other locations and some visitors think that puts them in a vulnerable position.
Two years ago, Gregory McKee was washing his hands at a Cabarrus County rest stop when Darren Manuel attempted to rob him and shot him in the back, leaving McKee paralyzed.
"The last two years have been the hardest of our lives," Gregory McKee’s wife, Terrie McKee, said.
McKee family members said the crime shined a light on the safety of rest stops.
"Our rest stops are not necessarily safe," Terrie McKee said.
Highway Patrol officials said it's suggested that they check in and walk through rest stops during their shift.
"There is not a pattern,” Trooper Ray Pierce said. “People don't know when we're going to be here. We try to do that to ensure safety."
This rest stop on I-77 in Mecklenburg County has had one larceny reported in 2017 and one accident reported in 2016.
The northbound rest stop on Interstate 85 in Concord, across from where McKee was shot had 46 calls for service in 2016 and 43 this year.
Most of those were reports of suspicious people, vehicles and welfare checks.
Cox Media Group
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