Three charged in shootings of Smithfield mom, son

Investigators say Jalissa Wallace and her 8-year-old son, Jeremiah, were inside their apartment at 38 Towbridge Drive shortly before 8 p.m. when neighbors reported hearing gunshots.

Police have not released a motive for the shooting but have said it was not random.

Jalissa Wallace was listed in serious condition at a local hospital Thursday afternoon.

Cornel Breon Harper, 35, of 509 Lincoln St., Kinston, Mister Premier Height, 22, of 1402 E. Shine St., Kinston, and Sameer Ibn Muhammod Edgar, 26, of Detroit, were arrested Thursday afternoon.

Harper and Edgar each face two counts of attempted first-degree murder, six counts of inflicting serious injury with a deadly weapon and 18 counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling.

Height faces 24 counts of accessory after the fact of discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling and two counts of accessory after the fact of attempted murder.

The three men were each jailed under a $2 million bond and were scheduled to have their first court appearance in Johnston County District Court Friday morning.

Authorities said Thursday that they are surprised no one else was injured, considering the number of bullets recovered and how they penetrated the walls of nearby apartments.

"There were some rounds recovered from the apartments on both sides of 38," Smithfield police Lt. Keith Powell said. "Children (live) on one side, and an elderly lady on the other side is confined to a wheelchair."

The shootings are still under investigation, and anyone with information about them are asked to contact the Smithfield Police Department at 919-934-2121 or the department's tip line at 919-989-8835.