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MERRY HILL – A 60-year-old Plymouth man was shot and killed near here Saturday night.

The shooting occurred in the parking lot of Dollar General, located on US 17 North near the Midway intersection.

Bertie County Sheriff Tyrone Ruffin identified the victim as William Thomas Johnson.

Ruffin added that Bertie deputies responded at approximately 9:30 p.m. to Dollar General in reference to shots fired with a male subject down in the parking lot. He said upon the arrival of his deputies, they quickly secured the scene with the assistance of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol so that Bertie EMS could respond and assess the victim. However, Johnson was pronounced dead at the scene.

Units from the BCSO, North Carolina State Highway Patrol, Down East Drug and Violent Crime Task Force and Ahoskie Police Department were called in to assist in canvassing the area to locate the suspect. K-9 units as well as the BCSO drone was deployed during the search efforts.

The North Carolina SBI has been called in to assist with the investigation.

Ruffin said the suspect is described as a black male wearing a blue hoodie and black pants. No other descriptive information regarding the suspect is available at this time.