911 call: Man fatally shot by brother in Johnston County had attacked father

This story was updated at 6:23 p.m. Aug. 26, 2021.

A Johnston County man who was fatally shot by his brother Wednesday night had attacked their father, according to a 911 call released late Thursday.

“Right now he’s here screaming at his father,” the caller said. “Please send someone now. This is going to get violent.

“He just passed his father, and his dad took his gun,” the caller said seconds later. “Oh my God, get over here, please!”

Sheriff’s deputies found the man, Stephen Patrick Horton, 42, lying on the ground on Stevens Sausage Road around 7 p.m., the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. He was declared dead at the scene. The street is off of Brogden Road.

The Sheriff’s Office determined Stephen Horton’s brother, Joseph Earl Horton, 27, had shot him, the release stated. No charges had been filed as of Thursday evening.

“After interviewing witnesses and processing the incident scene, investigators consulted with the Johnston County District Attorney’s Office,” the Sheriff’s Office stated in the release. “After consultation it was determined no charges would be filed at this time.”

‘We need the ambulance,’ 911 caller says

The Sheriff’s Office released four 911 calls late Thursday. The caller who reported the gun said Stephen Horton had been shot and the gun was now locked under the seat of her car.

Law enforcement had been called to the home earlier in the day after Stephen Horton had ransacked the family’s cars and disconnected the batteries, the caller said.

After the shooting, the 911 operator gave instructions for treating the injury, as Joseph Horton tended to Stephen Horton’s shoulder wound, according to the caller.

In the background, the wail of an emergency siren grew louder.

This is a developing news story that will be updated as more information becomes available.

This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 8:16 AM with the headline "911 call: Man fatally shot by brother in Johnston County had attacked father."