SMITHFIELD -- Three men are in the hospital after a pair of unrelated shootings early Monday morning.
Around 12:30 a.m., police responded to a shooting at 305 North St., according to Lt. Keith Powell. Alexander Blackwell, 66, who lives at the house, and Earl Gray Jr., 54, who was visiting, told officers they got a knock on the door. When they opened it, two masked men dressed in black entered. One pulled a gun and shot Blackwell in the head. Then he shot Gray in the shoulder when the Smithfield resident came to his friend's aid, Powell said.
Blackwell's head was only grazed by the bullet, and the two drove themselves to Johnston Medical Center for treatment. The injuries weren't life-threatening, police said.
Powell said police don't yet have any suspects or a motivation for the shooting.
About 30 minutes later, police got another call reporting a shooting on North Seventh Street, just a few blocks away. Jihad Toleito, 27, of Pine Level told officers that he'd dropped his child at a friend's house when he encountered two men walking down the street.
"He said he was attempting to purchase some illegal narcotics when one of the guys pulled a gun," Powell said. Toleito told police the men demanded his wallet and shot him in the stomach. He was taken to Johnston Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
Toleito told officers that the attackers were a Hispanic man and a young black man, but police don't have other descriptive information, such as age, weight or height.
Despite the similarities in time and location, Powell said, "nothing indicates (the two shootings) are connected."
Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call the Smithfield Police Department's anonymous tip line at 919-989-8835.
