Chapel Hill food driver shot on delivery undergoes surgery. Police find stolen car.
A food driver shot this month while delivering cookies in Chapel Hill is determined to regain his full health, his father recently told those rallying around his son.
Rob Perry, 33, was making his last delivery of the night for Insomnia Cookies when he was shot several times around 1 a.m. Dec. 11 on Umstead Drive, near the Barclay Road intersection.
Police have made no arrests but announced this week they have found Perry’s car, which was stolen in the shooting.
“It sounds like he will make a full recovery, but it sounds like he will have a long road of rehabilitation ahead of him,” said Susan Coe, a coworker who has organized a GoFundMe page that has now raised more than $40,000 to help pay Perry’s bills. Insomnia Cookies will cover his medical costs, Coe has said.
It was unknown if Perry would walk or work again after the shooting. The day before his most recent surgery, he told Coe that no matter what news the doctors gave him, he was going to overcome it, she said.
“He’s not going to let anything get him down,” Coe said.
Perry was close to the customer’s door when he was shot. The customer heard the gunfire and saw Perry’s green 2004 Toyota Avalon XL being driven away, Coe previously told The News & Observer.
The GoFundMe has brightened Perry’s spirits, Coe said. David Perry wrote a statement about his son last week that Coe shared on the page.
“Thursday evening, Rob had surgery on both his arms and is now looking forward to building his strength back,” he wrote. “He is determined to overcome all of his injuries and to return to full health.”
“The Perry family also thanks the doctors and nurses who are taking such good care of Rob,” he wrote.
Coe said she tells drivers to be aware of their surroundings and call customers to let them know they are on their way. If it is dark and they don’t feel comfortable in areas, they should let customers know and leave, she said.
“If our drivers don’t feel safe, we don’t want them going anywhere where they don’t feel safe.”
Insomnia Cookies has suspended deliveries to Pritchard Avenue Extension and Umstead Drive since the attack, Coe previously told The N&O.
In September a GoPuff driver also reported that someone had pointed a gun at her on North Columbia Street, close to where Perry was robbed, according to a police report.
The Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill police departments do not track crimes committed against people in particular occupations, The N&O reported. Chapel Hill police spokesman Ran Northam said they were able to identify two crimes targeting delivery drivers since January 2019.
Staff writer Tammy Grubb contributed to this report.