3 hurt when gunman opens fire on tree-trimming crew in western NC

Three people were hurt when someone opened fire on a tree-trimming crew in western North Carolina, the Yancey County Sheriff’s Office said.

It happened around 1:40 p.m. Wednesday in the Murphytown area of Yancey County.

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The sheriff’s office said the three victims had serious injuries; one of the workers was shot twice and the two others were each shot once in their upper bodies, authorities told WLOS in Asheville . All three crew members are in stable condition, authorities said.

Authorities have identified the suspected gunman as 36-year-old Lucas Murphy, the sheriff’s office said.

According to the sheriff’s office, the workers were contracted by a power company to clear the right-of-way along a power line when Murphy started firing at them. Authorities haven’t yet shared what his motive could have been.

Deputies got into a shootout with Murphy when they arrived at the scene, authorities said. Murphy was shot before he was taken into custody. His injuries aren’t life-threatening, authorities said.

The father of one of the workers showed Channel 9′s Dave Faherty a text message he got from his son Tanner about the shooting while he was working for Asplundh.

Tanner was a short distance away and was not hit by the gunfire.

“It’s astonishing,” said Chad Triplett, Tanner’s father. “Just pure evil. Pure evil for someone to shoot another human being especially when they’re out just doing their job.”

Murphy was charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and for shooting at law enforcement.

“I want to start out by saying that my thoughts and prayers are with the Asplundh victims of today’s shooting for a speedy recovery,” the sheriff said in a statement on Facebook.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

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