GREENVILLE — Three East Carolina University football players, including a Richmond County native, are facing criminal charges following gunfire.
Multiple media outlets report that officers with the Greenville Police Department were responding to a call of shots fired on Locust Drive just before 6 a.m. Sunday, July 20. The responding officers reportedly heard gunfire while enroute.
Officers reportedly made contact with two men standing outside the home — defensive linemen Jackson “J.D.” Lampley and William Preston Carr — who allegedly admitted to firing shots.
(NOTE: The magistrate’s order for Lampley’s arrest lists the address as “Lockus” Drive.)
A third player, wide receiver Brock Spalding “remained inside and initially refused to exit or respond to officers' attempts to make contact,” but was eventually brought out by officers with the department’s Emergency Response Team.
No injuries or property damage have been reported.
The magistrate’s order for Lampley alleges that he discharged a firearm, but the one for Carr seems to indicate he fired from “within” the residence.
The arrest warrant for Spalding states that he fired “multiple times in an unknown direction” behind the residence. It isn’t clear from the warrant if he was shooting behind the residence or from behind the residence.
All three were charged with discharging a firearm in city limits, a misdemeanor. Spalding was also charged with resisting a public officer. The players each were released on a $1,000 secured bond and are scheduled to appear in court Aug. 25.
ECU Athletics reportedly released a statement saying all three players were suspended indefinitely from all team activities.
Lampley was named the RO’s Student Athlete of the Week on Nov. 2, 2021, having just helped the Raiders secure their fourth consecutive Sandhills Athletic Conference championship.
At the time he had already verbally committed to ECU.
According to his player bio, Lampley recorded 25 tackles and 2.5 sacks in the 2024 season with the Pirates, playing in all 13 games and earning his third varsity letter. He was also an All-AAC Honorable Mention, and Third-Team All-AAC selection by College Football Network.
Lampley and Spalding were among nine ECU players named to preseason All-American Athletic Conference Teams earlier this month by Athlon Sports.
The Pirates open up the season Aug. 28 against the Wolfpack at N.C. State University’s Carter Finley Stadium.
Online court records show Lampley was cited in February 2022 for speeding in a school zone, but the infraction was lowered to a city/town violation. A month later, he was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian. That infraction, too, was lowered to a traffic control device violation. Earlier this year, Lampley was cited for failure to wear a seat belt.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
