A Robeson County middle school principal was shot in the face Thursday as he drove to work, and authorities said efforts to talk to him have been hindered by his wounds.
Someone shot Fairmont Middle School Principal James Hunt around 7:30 a.m., officials said. The windows on the passenger and driver's side of his vehicle were shot out.
Officials said the shooting happened on a country road and not at the school. They do not know if the shooting was random or not.
County school Superintendent Johnny Hunt said the principal drove to a hospital in nearby Lumberton. He was later airlifted to Duke University Hospital in Durham.
The superintendent said James Hunt was alert and sitting up, but couldn't speak clearly because of his injury. The two men are not related.
"From what I understand, James was shot by someone from another vehicle on Iona Church Road near U.S. 301," Johnny Hunt said. "James must have had to drive at least 10 miles to get to the hospital. I don't know how he did it."
Duke spokeswoman Lauren Shaftel Williams said the hospital doesn't give out information on patients with gunshot wounds.
"We have no idea why it happened," said school system spokesman Al Kahn.
Kahn said the assailant pulled up beside the principal's vehicle before shooting a shotgun at him.
"It was at fairly close range," Kahn said, but the injuries weren't life-threatening. "At this point, we don't know who did it or why."
Maj. Howard Branch of the Robeson County Sheriff's Office said investigators were having difficulty getting information.
"We've tried to talk to him, but he's in no shape to speak," Branch said.
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