Feds file gun charges against man accused of shooting Robeson County deputies
ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. (WBTW) — A man accused of shooting two Robeson County deputies in November now faces federal drug and gun charges, the Department of Justice said Thursday.
Shawn Tobin Locklear Jr. faces a federal drug trafficking charge and three gun-related charges including possession of a machine gun, as well as carjacking with intent to cause serious bodily injury. The carjacking charge was filed against him in November.
The incident happened on Nov. 7 while Locklear was out of jail on bond for murder and armed robbery charges that stemmed from the death of Joshua R. Hunt, 28, of Red Springs, in late November 2022. Authorities said he also was arrested on an armed robbery charge in March 2022 and was given a bond in that case as well.
If convicted of his charges, Locklear, 20, faces a minimum of 40 years and a maximum of life in prison. Locklear also still faces state charges for the incident that sent deputies Jonathan Walters and Kaelin Locklear to the hospital. Kaelin Locklear was released from the hospital on Nov. 9 and Walters returned home shortly after.
The state charges against Shawn Locklear, according to deputies, are expected to include two counts of attempted first-degree murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, larceny of a motor vehicle, felony hit-and-run, possession of a weapon of mass destruction, possession of cocaine and marijuana, and two counts of resisting and obstructing an officer.
According to the complaint, deputies were trying to serve an arrest warrant on Shawn Locklear when he opened fire. The deputies took cover behind their patrol car, but Locklear is then alleged to have entered the driver’s side of the patrol car and put it into reverse while one of the deputies was on the ground behind the vehicle.
The deputy, later identified as Walters, was able to push himself partially out of the way before Locklear ran over his leg and drove away in the patrol vehicle. The incident was captured on the deputies’ body cameras.
“Violence toward law enforcement will never be tolerated in North Carolina,” U.S. Attorney Michael Easley said in a news release. “We will use every resource necessary to hold accountable anyone who endangers police or first responders.”
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Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.
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