BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- The search continues for the gunmen involved in a drive-by shooting in Bladen County last night. It happened on Mercer Mill Road near Lisbon Road between Elizabethtown and Clarkton around 7:19 p.m.

Investigators say a 15-year-old was hit in the thigh during the shooting that damaged two homes. Deputies say the child's injuries are not life-threatening.

Investigators say there were at least two shooters involved based on evidence found at the scene. They are currently following up on leads.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the Bladen County Sheriff's Office at (910) 862-8141.

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- A 15-year-old girl is dead after a car accident in Clarkton this afternoon. The accident happened near the Bo's Food Store in Bladen County.

The 15-year-old girl was turning left out of the Bo's Food Store parking lot when she pulled into the path of another car. She was driving with her learners permit. Her mother, boyfriend and 10-year-old sister were taken to Southeastern Regional Medical Center in Lumberton and are expected to be ok.

The 84-year-old driver of the other car involved in the accident refused treatment.

OAKLAND, CA (AP) - Oakland Raiders defensive tackle Desmond Bryant has been taken to the hospital because of a fast heartbeat.

The Raiders say Bryant was transported to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley as a precaution at the beginning of the second half Sunday in Oakland's 42-32 loss to Tampa Bay. No further details were announced.

Bryant is in his fourth season in the NFL, all with the Raiders. He had five sacks and 35 tackles while playing every game last season. Bryant had 10 tackles through the first seven games this year.

He joined the Raiders as an undrafted rookie out of Harvard in 2009.

(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- Bladen County's Deputy Fire Marshal died last night after getting sick during a call over the weekend. John McCelland Hall, 48, died of a heart issue, according to Bladen County Emergency Services Director Bradley Kinlaw.

Kinlaw says Hall responded to and actively participated in fighting a fire at 308 Cord Rd in the Carvers Creek Community Saturday. He was also the primary investigator of he fire. Kinlaw says Hall became ill during the incident and had been on bed rest until he was taken to the hospital Wednesday.

Hall lived in Bladenboro and was also the Deputy Fire Chief of the Clarkton Fire Department and was an active firefighter with the Bladenboro Fire Department. In addition to his emergency services involvement, Hall was also the American Red Cross representative for Bladen County.

Funeral arrangements will be announced once they are known. He leaves behind a son and a mother.

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY)-- Funeral arrangements have been made for John McCelland Hall, 48, who died Wednesday of a heart issue from getting sick during a call over the weekend.

A visitation will be held Monday at 11:00 am at Galeed Baptist Church in Bladenboro followed by a memorial service at 1:00 pm. Hall will then be buried at Hillcrest Cemetery.

Hall lived in Bladenboro and was also the Deputy Fire Chief of the Clarkton Fire Department and was an active firefighter with the Bladenboro Fire Department. In addition to his emergency services involvement, Hall was also the American Red Cross representative for Bladen County.

BLADENBORO, NC (WWAY) -- After trying to save others in a fire last weekend, a Bladen County firefighter died. The hero was laid to rest today, and the community came together to remember.

He was always willing to help. That's what friends and family said they will miss most about the John Hall as they came together one last time to honor his life and legacy.

Hall's life was dedicated to service. He was Bladen County's deputy fire marshal, fire chief in Clarkton and a member of the Bladenboro Fire Department. He also worked closely with the Red Cross.

Hall died last week of a heart attack days after falling ill during a fire call.

"We're here honoring a true hero to the citizens of this county," Bladen County Emergency Services Director Bradley Kinlaw said. "Any time anything bad would happen, when the pager would go off, he was there countywide."

During the service, guests were reminded of Hall's dedication to making other lives better. By saving people and protecting property, loved ones said hall's purpose in life was fulfilled, and he died doing what he loved.

"He truly defined a firefighter," Kinlaw said. "He was always willing to drop everything to help others including his own business."

Hall's mother did not want to talk on camera but said she wants the service on-air so that the community hall loved so much could share in his celebration, even if they were not able to attend.

Bladen County lost another firefighter last week. Tuesday, David Tatem, 55, a lieutenant with the White Oak Fire Department, died after complications after responding to a vehicle fire a day earlier. His funeral was Saturday.

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- Bladen County deputies have arrested three men in connection to two drive-by shootings.

Titus Coston has been charged with shooting a 15-year-old October 24. He's also charged in another drive-by shooting the next day.

His brother Elijah Coston and Jamie Cotton are also charged in that second shooting.

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- A Bladen County man is in jail charged with raping a child. The Sheriff's Office says deputies arrested Gil Antonio Juare Garcia, 33, of Elizabethtown, Friday night and charged him with first degree sex offense with a child and first degree rape of a child.

Investigators say Garcia is accused of having inappropriate sexual contact with an 11-year-old. They say the first degree sex offense occurred October 28. The rape happened between June and August.

Garcia is in the Bladen County Jail under a $125,000 secured bond.

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- A former NC Department of Health and Human Services employee avoided jail time by pleading guilty earlier this month to two counts of felony obtaining property by false pretense.

Investigators say Sandra Anderson Baldwin of Elizabethtown worked for the Vocational Rehabilitation Division in Bladen
County. From August 2009 through June 2010 they say Baldwin misappropriated more than $17,379.50 of funds.

Prosecutors say Baldwin used her access to the Vocational Rehabilitation Computer system to falsify and alter case records for individuals who may have been eligible for services had the proper legal process been followed, as well as some individuals who were not eligible for services.

A judge sentenced Baldwin to two consecutive terms of a minimum of six months and a maximum of eight months in jail. The sentence was then suspended, and Baldwin was placed on supervised probation for five years and ordered to pay restitution.

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- A Columbus County teen was in court today after Bladen County Sheriff's deputies say they arrested him with a gun at a high school football game.

Deputies arrested Trevor Patrick Sellers, 18, of Whiteville, and charged him with having a handgun in the parking lot at East Bladen High School Friday night. While deputies were patrolling the parking lot, they say they saw Sellers with his door open and a beer bottle that was still partially full of alcohol. Upon further investigation, deputies found a loaded .32 caliber Kel-Tec semi-automatic handgun in the center console.

Sellers, who investigators say attends Whiteville High School is charged with Possession of a firearm on education property, carrying a concealed weapon, consuming alcohol less than 19 years of age and possession of a malt beverage on unauthorized premise.

Sellers was released after posting a $5,000 secured bond.

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- Highway Patrol says two people from Bladenboro were killed in a morning crash in Bladen county.

It happened around 9:20 on Twisted Hickory Road, south of Elizabethtown.

Highway Patrol says a 17-year-old female without a license was driving a Ford Mustang with four passengers when she lost control of the car, crossed the center line and struck a Ford pickup truck. The driver then ran off the road and hit a ditch. Troopers say three passengers in the back seat, including two children, were not wearing seat belts and were ejected from the vehicle.

Highway Patrol says two adult passengers, a 38-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman, in the Mustang were killed. The driver was airlifted to the hospital. Troopers say the two children are expected to recover.

Two adults were in the pickup truck and were taken to the hospital. Highway Patrol says they will be treated and released.

Troopers remind drivers and passengers to always wear their seat belts and be extra cautious on the roads, as many are traveling for the holiday.

ELIZABETHTOWN, NC (WWAY) -- The season is over for East Bladen High School's football team, and some of its equipment is also done for good.

With such a high risk for head injuries during games, safety standards for helmets are strongly enforced.

"We have about 80 or so kids in the program each year, so you know it's something we've got to have," East Bladen coach Robby Priest said. "You've got to have football helmets."

More than 50 of the East Bladen Eagles' helmets failed an inspection this week for safety standards. Now, the team is trying to figure out how to pay to replace the equipment.

"Two-hundred dollars a pop. That's the going rate, but we're going to do this fundraiser: sell the old ones for $25 a piece, and we're going to do some more fundraisers. We're getting outstanding help for the community," Priest said.

Coach Priest says the helmets were ten years old and aged out of eligibility. He says although money is an issue, he is more concerned about his players' health and well-being.

"With the high concern of concussions now and player safety it's always going to be at the top of any conversation when it comes to football," he said.

The old helmets are on sale, but are not to be used to practice or play football. Coach priest says it would make a great Christmas present for a football lover.

Priest says someone paid $600 this afternoon for a used helmet and to help get the new gear.

If you'd like to help, call East Bladen High School at (910) 645-2500 and ask for Coach Priest.

ELIZABETHTOWN, NC (WWAY) -- A Bladen County legend is no longer with us. Wallace Leinwand died Thursday afternoon after a lengthy illness. He was 88.

In 1937, at the tender age of 13, Wallace Samuel Leinwand and his parents moved to Elizabethtown, a place he would call home for the next 75 years.

In 1942, Wallace joined the Air Force to fight for the country that had given his family so much.

"He was 18 years old when he was drafted, and actually he met my mother because of World War II," Leinwand's son Ricky said.

After the war Leinwand would do many things for Bladen County and the rest of the Cape Fear region. One of Leinwand's more notable accomplishments was heading a fundraising effort to help bring the Battleship North Carolina to Wilmington more than 50 years ago.

"He raised more money per capita per person than any other county in North Carolina, and he was so proud of that, and he became an honorary admiral for the USS North Carolina, and there is a plaque in there with his name on it," Ricky Leinwand said.

Between his endeavors as mayor of Elizabethtown and owner of the oldest and largest retail store in Bladen County, his family members say one thing gave Wallace more joy than any other: sports.

"It was hard to get my daddy out of the store, but if the Carolina Tar Heels were playing or the Elizabethtown Yellow Jackets or now the East Bladen Eagles were playing, he went to the ball games," Ricky said.

The funeral service will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at B'nai Israel Synagogue at 2601 Chestnut Street in Wimlington with a burial at the Hebrew Cemetery in Wilmington to follow. Coble-Ward Funeral Home in Wilmington will handle all funeral arrangements. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in honor of Wallace Leinwand to Leinwand Park, C/O P.O. Box 756, Elizabethtown, NC 28337, or to the charity of your choice.

ELIZABETHTOWN, NC (WWAY) -- Elizabethtown Baptist Church along with the Elizabethtown Fire Department will hold a candlelight vigil on the lawn of the Bladen County Courthouse Monday at 5:30 pm. Everyone is invited to attend the vigil.

In the event of inclement weather, the vigil will move to Elizabethtown Middle School's gymnasium on Highway 701 South.

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- Deputies in Bladen County say an observant neighbor led to four people being arrested for allegedly stealing ATVs.

Investigators say around 3:30 a.m. yesterday, a citizen heard two ATV four-wheelers coming in the direction of his home on Catfish Farm Rd. near Bladenboro. The witness thought it was very peculiar that anyone would be riding ATVs at that time of the morning. He noticed that the ATVs belonged to his neighbor. He called 911 when two suspects ran into the woods after he approached them.

Deputies arrived and arrested Zachariah John Henry, 26, of Elizabethtown after he was found lying in a ditch.

Investigators determined the other suspect was Robert James Rabon, 24, of Bladenboro. Bladenboro Police arrested him around 4 p.m.

The investigation revealed that Henry's sister, Carolyn Elizabeth Wright, 20, and Thomas Javie Kinlaw III, 25, both of White Lake, had dropped Henry and Rabon off to steal the ATVs.

White Lake Police arrested Kinlaw and Wright around 5 a.m. during a traffic stop and charged them with aid & abet felony larcent.

Wright is still in the Bladen County Jail under a $5,000 secured bond. Kinlaw was released from the Bladen County Jail after posting a $5,000 secured bond.

Both Henry and Rabon were charged with felony larceny, possession of stolen property and possession of burglary tools. They are both still in the Bladen County Jail under a $10,000 secured bond.

Investigators say it appears that the thefts are part of an ATV theft ring. They expect more charges as the investigation continues with the assistance of the Bladenboro and White Lake Police Departments.

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- The Bladen County Sheriff's Office says two men were shot this morning after a dispute.
Thomas Daughtey, Jr., 42 was shot in the abdomen.
Thomas Daughtey, 62 was shot in the hand.
Both men were transported to Cape Fear Valley hospital in Fayetteville.
The investigation is ongoing.

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- The Bladen County Sheriff's Office is investigating after a father and son were shot in Garland on Christmas Eve.

It happened at 10:40 a.m. near Beards Chapel Loop Road.

Deputies say the two men were shot after a dispute over alleged trespassing.

Fayetteville man, Thomas Daughtey Junior, 42, was shot in the abdomen, and Parkton man, Thomas Daughtey, 62, was shot in the hand.

Both men were transported to Cape Fear Valley Hospital in Fayetteville.

Their condition in unknown at this time.

The sheriff's office and SBI are investigating.

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- The investigation continues into the shooting of a man and his son in Bladen County Christmas Eve. Investigators say the two were shot after a dispute about alleged trespassing.

The Bladen County Sheriff's Office says its has not yet been able to talk to Thomas David Daughety Jr., 42, of Fayetteville, who was shot in the abdomen, because of his condition following surgery. Investigators say he is still in the hospital, and they hope to talk to him in the next few days.

Thomas Daughety Sr., 62, of Parkton, was shot in the hand during the incident. Investigators say both men were shot with a handgun.

It happened at 10:40 a.m. Monday near Beards Chapel Loop Road.

The Sheriff's Office has not released the name of the person shot the Daughteys. No charges have been announced so far.

BLADENBORO, NC (WWAY) -- In Bladen County, one mother says her daughter has been dealing with a bully for months. She says nothing is done because the bully's father is a deputy.

Robin Porter says her daughter, Jessica, has been bullied by former classmate Courtney Bullard for the past year. Now, the situation has turned violent, and this time, it was all caught on camera.

The video may be offensive to some viewers.

"My daughter has made the statement to me, she says, 'Mama, I will kill myself. I can't take it,'" said Robin Porter.

She says it all started when Bullard assaulted her daughter in February. According to Porter, Bullard's father, Bladen County Sheriff's Deputy Greg Bullard, said he would handle the situation. But Porter says over the course of the year, things only got worse. She says Courtney Bullard has been threatening her daughter on Facebook, saying she was going to beat her up. Two weeks ago, she says her daughter was lured into a set-up where onlookers shot the cell phone video.

Jessica's mother and aunt believe Deputy Bullard has been covering up for his daughter.

"It's always been in Bladen County who you are. That's the favoritism part I don't like. Just because who you are shouldn't make a difference with the law," said Porter's aunt.

They say more needs to be done to prosecute bullies before things turn violent.

"I have gotten emails from numerous amounts of children telling me how they've been bullied and how the bullies got away with it," said Robin Porter. "I'm just fed up."

We spoke with Bladen County Sheriff Prentis Benston who said there is no attempt by the Sheriff's Office to cover up anything.

Dep. Bullard was not on duty today, the Sheriff said he would contact Bullard for us, but so far, we have not heard back.

BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) -- A former Highway Patrol trooper is charged with two felonies in a Christmas Eve shooting in Bladen County.

Herbert Paul Weissinger is charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.

Investigators say Thomas David Daughety, Jr., 42, was shot in the abdomen, and his 62-year-old father, Thomas David Daughety, Sr., was shot in the hand. Investigators say both men were shot with a handgun after a dispute over trespassing.

The District Attorney's Office says the case is likely to be presented to the grand jury next month.