RURAL HALL, NC – A 72-year-old North Carolina man is accused of launching a shooting spree at a store manager’s home and vehicle in an apparent act of revenge, following the firing of his girlfriend from a King-area Walmart.
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office reported that deputies were dispatched to Pullman Drive in Rural Hall on the night of October 10 after a resident dialed emergency services, claiming their home had been struck by gunfire. No injuries were reported in the overnight attack, but the ordeal left the property damaged and the neighborhood shaken.
Not long after, authorities discovered that a second shooting had occurred that same evening at Walmart’s parking lot in King. There, the manager’s unoccupied car had also been shot multiple times. Investigators soon realized the two incidents might be linked.
Investigative teams from both Forsyth County and the King Police Department began sharing information and examining ballistic evidence. According to authorities, their collaboration pointed them to Larry Keaton Brown, who they say retaliated against the store after his girlfriend’s dismissal.
Law enforcement officials stated that Brown’s actions appeared to target the Walmart manager personally, allegedly blaming them for his partner’s job loss. Investigators did not specify how they reached this conclusion, but confirmed forensic evidence helped connect the dots between the shootings.
Brown, a Rural Hall resident, was later located and pulled over by deputies. While attempting to arrest him, officers say Brown made a move toward a firearm, but he was safely subdued before any further violence could occur.
The subsequent search of Brown’s home yielded more disturbing findings. Deputies reported the discovery of explosive devices on the property, leading to a new set of charges for possession of a weapon of mass destruction.
Brown is now facing an array of felony charges, including assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and multiple counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling. Officials have lodged him without bond at the Stokes County Detention Center.
Authorities have not announced when Brown will appear in court or shared details about any legal representation. The investigation remains ongoing, with law enforcement focusing on whether anyone else was involved and how Brown obtained the firearms and explosives.
The Walmart manager, whose identity has not been released, was not injured in either incident. The store continues to operate, and local police have increased patrols in the area as a precaution.