Pellet Gun shooting causes panic in North Carolina book store

CARY, N.C. (AP) — An 18-year-old man fired pellet guns inside a North Carolina bookstore, creating panic and causing minor injuries to two people, authorities said.

Town of Cary spokeswoman Kathryn Trogdon said the man walked into the Barnes & Noble store at about 7 p.m. Friday and started shooting “indiscriminately” with two pellet guns. A man and a woman received minor injuries and were taken to a hospital.

Trogdon identified the suspect as Jonathan Kyle Courtney, of Cary. Courtney has been charged with two counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon and one count of discharging a barreled weapon into an occupied property. He is currently being held at the Wake County Public Safety Center in Raleigh.

Police Capt. John Szymeczek told WNCN-TV that the pellet guns looked realistic.

“There were some shook up people for sure,” Szymeczek said. “Although they were BB guns, they are very realistic-looking replicas. It was a traumatic event for those folks.”

The large police presence around the store was unusual for the typically peaceful town of about 166,000 near Raleigh.

Witnesses told WRAL-TV that they heard multiple shots and breaking glass, prompting some customers to run to the back of the store or hide under tables.