View Google Drive folder of clippings.
Early on the night of Sunday, July 18, 1988, gunshots were heard in the vicinity of the shop, at 7:00 p.m. and again at 10:20 p.m. No calls were placed to law enforcement. Witnesses also saw a man walking around his front yard with his rifle at 8:30 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. No calls were placed to law enforcement.
About 8:20 p.m., a passing motorist and his wife were confronted by the same man, who had thrown a rock at their vehicle. The man appeared mentally unwell, and the couple quickly drove away. After contacting Davidson County deputies, they were directed to contact the Forsyth County Sherrif’s Department. The couple, they later said, decided to wait until the morning to pursue the matter.
The shootings started between 11:15 p.m. and 11:25 p.m. The first call to police was made at 11:25 p.m. A neighbor said that a man, about 19 to 25 years old, was walking in the street with some sort of firearm. He was yelling at cars. The caller had been stopped by the man and threatened. The man with the gun said if the caller came back, he was going to shoot his truck.
The Winston-Salem Police Department received that call at 11:25 p.m. call and, seven minutes later, completed the transfer of the call to the Forsyth County Sherrif’s Department. [ Check this. Did they transfer the first caller or the second caller, the stepfather?] As the WSPD dispatcher was processing the first call, the WSPD dispatcher received a call from the gunman’s stepfather, who said (a.) his stepson had been shooting at cars, (b.) his stepson said that there was a person lying in the parking lot, and (c.) his stepson said that he was going to kill another person.
By that time, the gunman had been firing his 22-caliber semiautomatic rifle on vehicles on Old Salisbury Road, as they passed the moped shop and approached the intersection and slowed for the stop sign.
Three Forsyth County deputies were dispatched at 11:33 p.m.[1], though only to the report of shots fired. It took several more minutes before dispatchers and others had confirmed that people had been shot. By then, the deputies had arrived[2], had blocked some of the roads, and had been fired upon by the gunman.
[1] City police were dispatched prior to the dispatch of the deputies, but returned to service after the call was determined as being in the county.
[2] The first deputy arrived at 11:41 p.m.
The Four Fatalities
The first victim was Crystal Cantrell, 16. At about 11:25 p.m., she was driving her 1983 Camaro south on Old Salisbury Road when her vehicle was shot at. She pulled into the shop’s parking lot and attempted to turn around, when she was shot and killed.
The second victim was Thomas Nicholas, 24. At about 11:39 p.m., he was driving south past the moped shop in his Dodge pick-up when he was shot. He continued driving south, turned left on Friedberg Road, drove about a half mile to a friend’s house, got out of his truck, and collapsed onto the lawn. He died seven feet from the front door.
The third fatality was Melinda Hayes, 21. At about 11:49 p.m., she was driving a Dodge Daytona south on Old Salisbury Road. By that time, two civilians had attempted to block the road. She drove around the roadblock and was shot in her car about 100 yards north of the moped shop. Her car coasted to a stop, and she was shot again by the gunman.
The fourth fatality was Ronald Hull, 32. He was driving a Chevy Blazer with three other occupants: his wife Darlene, 29, his son, 9, and a neighbor. He was heading east on Friedberg Road and turned north onto Old Salisbury Road, to avoid the sheriff’s roadblock immediately to the south. At about 11:53 p.m., he was stopped by the gunman at the intersection and shot and killed. His wife was wounded in the shoulder by the same bullet that killed her husband.
Other People Injured
James Boyd, 45, was shot in the leg while driving his truck past the moped shop. A passenger in his vehicle was unhurt. Boyd “floored the gas pedal” and drove to the nearby Griffith Volunteer Fire Department to call deputies for help. Other passing motorists who were injured included Jeff Parks, 28, with a gunshot wound to the head/neck, and Greg Tirrell, 18, with a gunshot wound to the shoulder.
There were also neighbors nearby who escaped injury. Stan Parks, who lived across the street from the moped shop, told his wife and 15-month-old son to lie down on the living room floor, when the gunman shot at his house. Two shots struck their residence, one breaking a back door window. Parks also served as extra eyes for the FCSO dispatcher, staying on the line with his cordless phone and describing the events as observed from his house.
EMS Arrives
Two Forsyth County EMS units were initially dispatched to the scene. Both unknowingly drove into the path of the gunman. As the first EMS unit arrived, the driver saw the blue lights of the deputy’s cars and pulled over near their roadblock. One of the medics got out of the ambulance and shots were fired at him. The medic jumped behind the deputy’s patrol car. The other medic crouched down inside the ambulance.
A few minutes later, the second EMS unit arrived. The driver was confronted by the gunman, who pointed his rifle at her and shouted obscenities. The driver quickly backed the ambulance away.
Suspect Apprehended
About 11:54 p.m.—some 40 minutes after the shooting had started—the gunman was subdued after being shot by deputies. He had just shot Ronald Hull in the family’s Chevy Blazer and was aiming his rifle at the nine-year-old boy in the back seat.
By that time, five deputies were on scene. Two deputies fired three shots, which wounded the gunman. The gunman was then tackled by the five deputies. Identified as Michael Charles Hayes, 24, the gunman was transported to Baptist Hospital with critical injuries.
Four of the five injured victims were transported to Winston-Salem hospitals. All of the injured victims were reported in stable condition the following night.
EMS Response
Notes on the full EMS response to be determined. Need inputs on this one.
Investigation and Criticism
Numerous law enforcement agencies responded to the scene, including the Forsyth County Sherrif’s Office, the Winston-Salem Police Department, the State Highway Patrol, and the State Bureau of Investigation. The later investigators included FCSO, WSPD, and SBI officers.
It was later reported that the deputies had arrived before some of the victims were fatally shot. The deputies were later criticized for delays engaging the gunman after they were within firing range, as well as failing to adequately block/barricade all approaches to the gunman’s reported location.
Sheriff Preston Oldham released a prepared statement on July 29, 1988. It included a detailed timeline of the shootings, prior responses over two days by deputies to reported disturbances involving Hayes, a prior attempt at an involuntary commitment of Hayes by his mother.
Oldman officially closed the investigation on August 12. In a news conference that day, he declined to answer questions about wrongdoing in the department. He also presented a wish list of men and materiel that he said were needed to improve their operations. About three weeks later, Oldman demoted or transferred three of the deputies who were involved in the shooting, but said the personnel actions were unrelated to the events of July 17.
Aftermath
The incident prompted calls for a countywide emergency communications system, to shorten the time required to transfer callers between agencies. There were currently three different emergency numbers, 911 for city fire or city police, 727-2112 for county sheriff, and 727-2222 for countywide EMS or county fire calls. The three numbers were answered at three different dispatch centers.
By September, county commissioners had started a feasibility study on the concept of a new and unified communications system and the results were expected by early December 1988. [ Then what happened? ]
The trial for Hayes began on March 27, 1989, in Forsyth County. The jury reached a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, which resulted in local and statewide outrage. As a result of the public outcry, state lawmakers attempted to change the laws regarding such “by insanity” verdicts. Hayes was released from psychiatric care in 2012.
The area of the shootings was transformed over the decades from rural to suburban, with the addition of subdivisions and shopping centers. The building that housed the moped shop was demolished in the late 1990s and a construction waste landfill was added at the site.
The Day Before the Shootings
It later learned that the sheriff’s office had already been alerted to Hayes the day before the shootings. They were dispatched at 4:21 p.m. for a reported disturbance at the moped shop. There they met Hayes. Deputies found no trouble at the moped shop and no disturbance. They were dispatched again to the shop at 7:57 p.m. for another reported disturbance, this time possibly involving a gun. They stood a safe distance from the moped shop but observed no weapons or disturbance.
Shortly after that, Hayes’ mother contacted the sheriff’s department. She was concerned about her son’s well-being. His wife had left him, she said, and he had been acting weird. She was given instructions on involuntary commitment and would have her husband, who was her son’s stepfather, take action.
By that time, Hayes had been taken to the hospital by his stepfather, after having hurt his hand hitting the side of the moped shop. A deputy was sent to the hospital to find the stepfather. The deputy was told that Hayes was “on a downward spiral because of some recent problems” and that his stepson had threatened to kill him and destroy the store. The deputy advised the stepfather of the commitment procedures and offered to drive him to the magistrate’s office. The whole process could be completed while Hayes was being treated for his hand injury.
The stepfather declined to take immediate action, saying he would take care of things in the morning. The stepfather later recounted that he told hospital security personnel several times that his stepson was sick and dangerous and that he wanted his stepson committed. The stepfather said he tried to talk with a physician about commitment but became impatient while waiting. The stepfather was eventually thrown off the hospital grounds after arguing with a security guard.
The stepfather also expressed doubt about an involuntary commitment in Forsyth County because his stepson was a Davidson County resident. He was told by a Forsyth County deputy that a meeting at the county line with Davidson County deputies could be arranged. By this time, the stepfather was becoming fatigued. He left and took his stepson back to the moped shop.
The Timeline of the Shooting
Two detailed timelines were later printed in the Winston-Salem Journal, one prepared by the sheriff and released to media outlets on July 30, 1988, and the other containing an annotated transcription of radio traffic, on August 7, 1988. Here’s take one of a consolidation of both, in chronological order.
11:25:30 – WSPD received first call. Neighbor David Horton at 3170 Salisbury Road. Reported a man walking around the street with a gun, shouting at passing cars. Also, the armed man stopped and threatened Horton, who lived three houses from the moped shop. Said if Horton came back, he was going to shoot Horton’s truck.
11:25:?? – Around this time, two passing vehicles were struck by gunfire. The gunman pointed his rifle at a third vehicle but did not fire. Crystal Cantrell was likely killed shortly after the two vehicles were fired upon.
11:26:10 – WSPD received call from Hayes’ stepfather Garris Edwards. Reported that his stepson had been shooting at cars as they go by the moped shot, that he could hear the shots in the background. Edwards gave WSPD his stepson’s name, said he needed mental health care, and that he had seen two weapons at the moped shop yesterday, including a .22-caliber gun.
11:27:46 – WSPD dispatcher called FCSO dispatcher, relayed the immediate information and prepared to transfer the call to FCSO.
11:31:02 – FCSO received call from neighbor Stanley Parks at 3229 Old Salisbury, across the street from the moped shop. Said the shop’s owner had “gone berserk,” had a gun, and was “walking around talking crazy” and firing the gun.
~11:31:?? – Davidson County SO received a call from motorist who said his truck had been hit by gunfire.
11:32:?? – About this time, city police were dispatched to the moped shop by a dispatcher who didn’t yet know that the location was outside the city.
11:32:36 – FCSO dispatcher received call from DCSO, reporting that a motorist’s vehicle had been shot, and they were at the nearby Hickory Tree Texaco, just past the county line at Old Salisbury Road and Highway 150.
11:32:49 – By this time, WSPD dispatcher completed the transfer of the stepfather’s call to FCSO.
11:33:00 – FSCO dispatcher interrupted conversation with the stepfather and dispatched three deputies (Baker 118, Baker 119, Adam 184) to the moped shop. They noted the suspect’s name, that they had the stepfather on the phone and who would try to meet them, and that the suspect was a mental patient who had gone to the hospital last night. The call type was “shots fired” versus “person shot” as the dispatcher didn’t know that anyone had been hurt. Two of the three deputies were at Westchester Shopping Center on Jonestown Road, the third was on Peters Creek Parkway. All three responded immediately.
11:33:35 – FCSO received call from neighbor Tom Dixon at 3107 Old Salisbury Road, reported that a man nearby was shooting at passing cars. Dixon handed the phone to John Chucci, who said his truck was hit by gunfire.
11:34 p.m. – Anonymous caller contacted FCSO and reported that another motorist, Jeffrey Parks, had been struck by gunfire and had himself driven to nearby Griffth VFD for help.
11:34 p.m. – Also around this time, Gregory Tirrell, a passenger in another passing vehicle was shot, and subsequently driven to Forsyth Memorial Hospital.
11:34 p.m. – About this time, WSPD dispatcher ended his conversation with the stepfather, who would meet deputies at a nearby gas station.
11:34:52 – Seconds later, FSCO received phone call from WSPD, who notified Forsyth County EMS of the incident and asked that one ambulance start rolling that way. Also, the dispatcher(s) believed that someone may have been shot, based on conversations with the stepfather. This was the first information that FCSO had received that someone may have been injured.
11:36:?? – FSCO dispatcher alerted the responding deputies. “Attention all units en route to Old Salisbury. Do not go to the business directly. Subject is firing the shots out the door at passing vehicles is what we’ve been advised.”
11:36:?? – Responding deputies informed that Davidson County had a deputy at a nearby gas station with a vehicle that had been shot.
11:38:?? – Motorist Claude Eagle was shot near the front of the moped shop as he was driving north on Old Salisbury Road. Eagle continued driving and drove himself to Forsyth Memorial Hospital. He did not make an immediate report to FSCO.
11:39:?? – About this time, motorist Thomas Nicholas was shot in front of the moped shop, as he was driving south on Old Salisbury Road. The fatally wounded Nichols turned left onto Friedberg Road, turned into the driveway of a house at 545 Friedburg Road, got out of his truck, and collapsed in the yard. His body was discovered by a deputy just after midnight.
11:40:?? – FSCO supervisor Adam 40 called the dispatcher to confirm the shooting, called a code red.
11:40:?? – About this time, the WSPD dispatcher told the responding city police officers that the moped shop was in the county, and that deputies would handle the call(s). [ With no mention of city police arriving during the active shooting, the responding units presumably returned to service. ]
11:41:?? – First deputy arrived at the scene, approaching west on Friedberg Road. The deputy parked between two houses across the street from the moped shop and began moving to a position from which he could observe the area. The only light in the area was from the shop.
The deputy observed a while male later identified as Hayes emerge from the shop, look into a Camero in the parking lot, and return to the shop. The deputy did not see anyone who was injured nor any weapons. The deputy heard two shots, but observed no one firing. Hayes emerged from the shop with a rifle. The deputy observed Hayes walking up and down the road but lost sight of him when he walked north of the shop. The deputy was about 70 yards from Hayes.
11:43 p.m. – FCSO supervisor Adam 17 asked the dispatcher if the road on either side of the moped shop had been blocked off. The second and third deputies arrived at the nearby gas station. One deputy met with Hayes’ stepfather. Another deputy proceeded north on Old Salisbury Road to the area south of the moped shop.
At the same time, the FCSO dispatchers received a phone call from a state trooper, asking what was happening around the county line. The trooper was directed to respond and block Old Salisbury Road north of the moped shop. Also, one of the three deputies was directed to block Old Salisbury Road south of the moped shop.
11:44 p.m. – Neighbor Stanley Parks again called FCSO and reported that the gunman had come to his house, banged on the door, and went running back across the street. Parks also said “just a few minutes ago, he stopped a vehicle out here and fired a weapon at them” and “there’s a car sitting over there in front. I don’t know whether there’s anybody in it.”
11:46 p.m. – The first deputy reported on the radio that had positioned himself behind a house and across the street from the moped shot. There was a car parked at the moped store with the headlights on. [This was the car belonging to Crystal Cantrell, who had been fatality shot.] He had heard gunshots but couldn’t identify where they were coming from. He hadn’t seen any people or movement in the store. The front door of the moped shop was open and the lights were on.
Between 11:46 p.m. and 11:47 p.m. the first deputy saw the man with the rifle emerge from the moped shop and quickly disappear into the darkness south of the shop.
At approximately the same time, the third deputy arrived on Old Salisbury Road at Friedberg Road to block Old Salisbury Road. A man with a rifle appeared out of the darkness and advanced toward the patrol car. The deputy was seated and belted in their patrol car and unable to take cover, so the deputy backed away from the suspect. The deputy backed past the intersection of Friedberg Road and stopped. The man with the rifle turned and disappeared into the darkness.
11:47 p.m. – Motorist James Boyd was shot while driving south on Old Salisbury Road. Boyd then pulled his vehicle beside the third deputy and said he had been shot. The third deputy called for the ambulance.
11:47 p.m. – At the same time, the first deputy—who had not seen the suspect shooting anyone—radioed to a watch commander (Baker 53): “I have the suspect. He’s been out in the street firing on vehicles. Advise on taking him out.” The watch commander asked if the suspect was outside his residence. The deputy replied with details, that the suspect was in the middle of the street, that he had stopped a car with civilians in it, that he was 50 to 60 yards away.”
By that time, the gunman was confronting Melinda Hayes. She had been driving south on Old Salisbury and drove around two civilians attempting to block the road.
11:49 p.m. – The watch commander told the deputy to stand by and asked “Can you tell what he’s doing with the car. Is it just conversation, or can you tell?” The deputy replied “It’s out of my line of view. He’s fired two shots. I think the car’s moving. I think he flattened the tires.” It’s believed that those two shots were fired at and killed Melinda Hayes.
11:50 p.m. – By that time, the first deputy had crept closer to the car in the middle of the road. He reported that he thought the driver had been shot and the driver was not moving.
11:50:50 – About this time, FSCO dispatchers asked city police to block Old Salisbury at West Clemmonsville. City police officers were dispatched to do that.
11:51:?? – The second deputy pulled up beside the third deputy on Old Salisbury Road. The deputies reported that they were being fired upon and sought cover behind their patrol cars. At that time, they could not see the source of the gunfire. They also requested help with traffic to block the roads.
At the same time, the first deputy, having seen the gunman return to the shop, approached within 10 feet of the car stopped on Old Salisbury Road. He transmitted a confirmation that the driver, who was Melinda Hayes, had been shot.
~11:51 p.m. – Around this time, the first-arriving EMS vehicle traveled through the area, but was not challenged by the gunman. However, the ambulance was shot at, after stopping at the deputy’s roadblock. The gunman then stopped a second vehicle—likely the second EMS unit— and threatened the driver but allowed them to leave.
~11:52 p.m. – Two FCSO supervisors, arrived at the location of the second and third deputies on Old Salisbury Road. None of the deputies had seen any shots fired, although two patrol cars had been struck by gunfire.
11:53:12 – FSCO dispatchers are told that a deputy at Griffith Fire Department said a man there had been shot in the neck, was in serious condition, and needed to be taken to the hospital.
Immediately after that, an approaching Chevy Blazer with four occupants turned from Friedberg Road onto Old Salisbury Road. The gunman stopped the Blazer and ordered the driver to turn off his lights and roll down the window.
11:54:05 – Deputy asked dispatch to see if the highway patrol could assist with blocking traffic. Dispatcher replied that they were in route.
11:54:50 – In the next several seconds, the gunman struck the window of the Blazer with the butt of his gun and then fired into the vehicle. [ This was the shot that killed Ronald Hull and injured his wife. ]
As this happened, the second and third deputies and the two supervisors were watching from the opposite side of the Blazer. They didn’t fire their weapons for fear of hitting the people inside the vehicle.
The first deputy, meanwhile, had moved to a new position to regain a view of the gunman. He saw the gunman beside the Blazer, but didn’t fire his weapon because the distance was too great. Instead, he began advancing rapidly toward the gunman.
The gunman took a few steps back from the Blazer, apparently aiming at the back seat of the vehicle. His movement gave deputies a clear shot. The second deputy was standing on Old Salisbury Road at the roadblock and fired once at the gunman with their shotgun. The gunman did not go down.
The first deputy fired his handgun as the second deputy fired his shotgun again. The gunman fell down and started to get up. One of the two supervisors rushed forward and grabbed the gunman, who was still holding his rifle. The gunman was disarmed and subdued after a fight with the five law officers.
11:55:01 – Deputy (Adam 5) radioed “Subject is on the ground. He’s shooting in another truck here. He’s been hit. Hold the ve_____, hold the [radio] traffic”.
11:55:15 – FCSO supervisors called for additional help and for ambulances. Deputies then advised that the subject was in custody and the scene was secure for EMS.
Sources
View Google Drive folder of clippings.
WSJ, 7/18/88 – “4 Killed, 3 Wounded in Shooting”
NR, 7/19/88 – “4 killed, 6 hurt in rampage”
NR, 7/19/88 – “Common tragedy awaited unsuspecting travelers”
NR, 7/19/88 – “Grieving community seeks comfort, counseling in numbers”
WSJ, 7/19/88 – “Part of Old Salisbury Road Became a Death Trap for Four”
WSJ, 7/19/88 – “The Victims”
WSJ, 7/19/88 – “Deputies Didn’t Stop Traffic Into Scene of Shooting, Some Say”
WSJ, 7/19/88 – “’If These People Come Riding by Again, I’m Going to Shoot Them’”
WSJ, 7/20/88 – “Witnesses : Police watched shootings”
WSJ, 7/20/88 – “Suspect’s family: Commitment law failed us”
WSJ, 7/20/88 – “Months of Change Precede Shooting Spree, Guman’s Family Says”
WSJ, 7/20/88 – “Criticism: Some Say Officers Were Slow to Act”
WSJ, 7/21/88 – “Deputies Were Denied Permission to Fire on Guman, Sources Say”
WSJ, 7/21/88 – “Families and Friends Gather Here To Bury Three Victims of Shootings”
WSJ, 7/21/88 – “Account Opened to Help Victim of Shooting Spree”
Charlotte Observer, 7/22/88 – “Forsyth Sheriff Wants To Talk To Witnesses of Shootings”
Charlotte Observer, 7/22/88 – “Injured Man Recalls Words of Gunman in Forsyth County”
Charlotte Observer, 7/22/88 – “Shooting Suspect Says He Killed ‘Demons’”
Charlotte Observer, 7/30/88 – “Deputies At Scene When Gunman Shot 2”
WSJ, 7/30/88 – “Sheriff’s Prepared Statement on Shooting Spree”
WSJ, 8/7/88 – “Sheriff, Police Transcripts Fill Gaps Surrounding Fatal Shooting”
Thomasville Times, 8/8/88 – “The shootings: Story of tragic endings”
WSJ, 8/16/88 – “Oldham Declines to Answer Many Questions About 9 Shootings”
WSJ, 8/21/88 – “Fatal Shootings Prompt Renewed Call for Unified 911 System”
WSJ, 6/14/90 – “Third Suit Filed in Handling of Shootings”
Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Salisbury_Road_shooting