The NAACP has requested that the U.S. Department of Justice investigate the Caswell County, N.C. shooting by a 52-year-old white man in the direction of three African American children.
The shots fired from a 12-gauge shotgun injured two of the children, ages 7 and 10, and left all three children, including another 10-year-old, psychologically traumatized. The shooting is believed to be racially motivated.
John Clyde Fuqua, 52, has been charged with two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury and two misdemeanor counts of assault with a deadly weapon. Prior to the incident, Fuqua, was heard yelling racial slurs before asking his wife to retrieve his shotgun.
According to reports, Fuqua fired the shotgun three times in the direction of the three children. He was released shortly after the shooting on a $5,000 bond.
"These children and their families have been traumatized. The disturbing history of this man's racial animosity toward African Americans and the hateful epithets he has been accused of yelling must be investigated as indications that this was indeed as a possible hate crime," said Rev. Dr. William Barber II, President of the North Carolina State Conference. "The North Carolina NAACP will not back down from racism and its manifestations under any circumstances."
"It is appalling that these small children may have suffered serious physical and psychological harm because of the violent inhumanity of this kind of racial intolerance," said Benjamin Todd Jealous, president and CEO of the national NAACP. "We are pleased that the Department of Justice will look into this case and the national NAACP stands firmly behind the North Carolina State Conference in ensuring that justice is served in Caswell County."