HAMLET — A Rockingham man is facing a trio of felony charges following a shooting and alleged robbery early Friday morning.
Police say 36-year-old Ricky Eugene Thomas, of Walnut Lane, was inside a Rosemont Avenue home in the Briarwood community when some type of altercation took place and he shot and wounded another man in the upper body around 3:45 a.m.
Although the victim, whose name was not released, was barely able to communicate, investigators said he indicated that he been robbed after he had been shot.
The victim was airlifted to an undisclosed hospital for treatment. Investigators said Friday afternoon that he had a collapsed lung but was in stable condition.
Investigators also say Thomas was in possession of a handgun stolen from Fayetteville.
Thomas was arrested and charged with one felony count each of attempted first-degree murder, robbery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a stolen firearm. He was booked into the Richmond County Jail under a $200,000 secured bond.
A court date was not listed online with the N.C. Court System late Friday. Those records show Thomas has no other pending charges in the state.
Thomas’ first conviction was in 2001 on a misdemeanor charge of assault with a deadly weapon, according to records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction.
Records show he was also convicted on misdemeanor charges each of the next four years:
• 2002 — driving while impaired
• 2003 — possession of a Schedule II controlled substance
• 2004 — driving with a revoked license
• 2005 — two counts of assault on a female, one count of resisting an officer
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Reach William R. Toler at 910-817-2675.