Sheriff’s Office: Male killed, cause of death pending

**CORRECTION: The unnamed victim in this incident was in fact Native American, not Indian — meaning from India — the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. The Sheriff’s Office’s initial communication about this individual’s race was that he was “Indian,” which is often used interchangeably with “Native American.” The article has been updated to reflect this.

ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office reports that a 36-year-old unnamed Native American male was killed in the East Rockingham area Friday night.

On Friday, Feb. 11, at 8:45 p.m., the Richmond County 911 Center received a call of a male being struck on Mill Road at South Street.

A patrol deputy arrived on the scene and began rendering first aid measures, according to a press release. The responding deputy found injuries inconsistent with being struck by a vehicle.

Chief Deputy Jay Childers confirmed that the victim was not struck by a vehicle. The RCSO is waiting for an autopsy to confirm the official cause of death.

FirstHealth Richmond EMS pronounced the male deceased at the scene.

Investigators with the Sheriff’s Office interviewed witnesses at the scene and were able to identify the victim. The victim’s name has not been released at this time.

The case is being investigated as a homicide, according to Sheriff Mark Gulledge. If anyone was in the area between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on the day of the accident, they are asked to call 911 and ask for an investigator or call Richmond County Crime Stoppers at 910-997-5454.

“Every little detail matters in a case of this magnitude,” concludes the press release.