Executive Summary
- Suspect Thomas Sharp Jr. was found dead in Burlington, NC.
- Authorities report the cause of death as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
- The manhunt followed a shooting on Monday in Stokes County.
- The victim’s medical condition remains undisclosed.
A multi-county manhunt for a suspect wanted in connection with a shooting in Stokes County, North Carolina, concluded on Tuesday after authorities discovered the individual deceased in Burlington. The Stokes County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the development, bringing an end to the search operation that spanned across state lines.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, investigators located 50-year-old Thomas Sharp Jr. in Burlington with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Law enforcement had been actively searching for Sharp since Monday, following the initial incident in Stokes County. Deputies stated that no law enforcement officers were injured during the recovery of the suspect.
The investigation began just before noon on Monday when deputies were dispatched to the 1000 block of Poplar Spring Road regarding a reported shooting. Stokes County Sheriff Joey Lemons stated that a female victim had been transported to a local hospital by a family member prior to the arrival of law enforcement. Authorities have not yet released details regarding the victim’s current medical condition.
Following the shooting, investigators determined that Sharp fled the scene in a 2016 silver Chevrolet Silverado. This prompted the issuance of a statewide “be on the lookout” (BOLO) alert across North Carolina and Virginia as authorities attempted to locate the vehicle and the suspect. Officials have not publicly disclosed the motive behind the initial shooting.
Investigative Outlook
The discovery of the suspect marks the conclusion of the active pursuit phase for local law enforcement, effectively neutralizing the immediate public safety concern associated with the manhunt. Investigators are expected to shift their focus toward forensic processing to formally close the procedural aspects of the case. It is important to note that while Sharp was the named suspect in the investigation, all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
