JACKSON – In the aftermath of a shooting that sent two men to the hospital on Wednesday, the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office has drawn warrants for the arrest of a Rich Square man.

Christopher Pierre Smith, 39, is wanted for two counts of attempted murder, and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury. There is another warrant for his arrest, this one for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill involving a third victim in the case who was found in a wooded area near the crime scene early Wednesday evening. That victim was not shot.

Smith left the scene of the shooting – at a residence on Bryant Town Road near Rich Square, prior to the arrival of NCSO deputies. It was reported that he may have fled the scene in a green Mazda Protégé. Later on Wednesday, NCSO officers put out a BOLO (Be on the Lookout) broadcasted by law enforcement agencies in surrounding counties that Smith may be a passenger in another vehicle driven by a female.

As of early Thursday afternoon, Smith’s whereabouts remains unknown. NCSO officials say that he is believed to be armed and dangerous.

According to the original police report, the call came in at 1:45 p.m. Wednesday in regards to a shooting at a residence on Bryant Town Road, near the Dick Harmony Road, southwest of Rich Square.

NCSO Major Darryl Harmon said a vehicle, occupied by three males, entered the driveway of the residence.

“Our investigation up until this point shows that an individual came out of the house and began firing shots at the vehicle,” Harmon said. “The vehicle then backed out of the driveway and crashed into a tree on the other side of the road. The three males inside the vehicle exited the vehicle and ran because our investigation shows that shots were still being fired at that point.”

Harmon added that two of the males in the car were found a short time later, both suffering from gunshot wounds. They were both airlifted to Vidant Medical Center where they are currently listed in stable condition.

The investigation up until this point has led NCSO officials to conclude that as many as 12 shots were fired by Smith at the car. One victim was struck twice by bullets; the other was hit once.

Smith is described as a black male with a close haircut, approximately 6’-1” tall and weighing between 225 to 230 pounds.

(Lance Martin, Editor and Publisher of www.rrspin.com, contributed information to this story.)