KINSTON, N.C. (WBTV) – A Charlotte man and two others were in critical condition after he allegedly shot at multiple Amazon vans and crashed head-on into a car in eastern North Carolina this past weekend.

The Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office said the man, 34-year-old Lonneil Cordarius Mason, shot into three Amazon vans in Kinston, N.C. on Sunday, March 23. The first two vans were on C.F. Harvey Parkway near Kinston Regional Jetport, while the third happened on Highway 11.

Deputies said none of the Amazon drivers were hurt, but investigators found bullet holes left by .45-caliber and AR-15 pistols. One of the shots fired went through a van’s passenger door.

Just minutes after Mason allegedly shot into the vans, deputies said he drove up the wrong side of Highway 11. Deputies said he hit three vehicles. The first vehicle lost a mirror, the second was hit head-on by Mason, and the third vehicle was a truck towing lawnmowers.

The sheriff’s office said two females were in the car that Mason hit head on, and both of them and Mason were taken to the hospital. All three were said to have been in critical condition as of Sunday evening.

After the crash, deputies said .45 and AR-15 pistols were found, along with cocaine and fentanyl in Mason’s car and on him.

Mason is facing a list of charges related to Sunday’s chaos. Those offenses are listed below:

• Three counts of attempted first degree murder
• Three counts of shooting into occupied property
• Possession of a firearm by a felon
• Possession with intent to sell or deliver Schedule I controlled substance

The sheriff’s office said more charges could come later.

Deputies said Mason previously served more than 11 years in prison after he was convicted of second-degree murder and breaking and entering following a 2007 incident. Records showed he was convicted of those crimes in Mecklenburg County.

The Lenoir County sheriff called Sunday’s shootings and crash “tragic” and said his office did not yet know why Mason shot at the Amazon vehicles.

Anyone who witnessed or has information about the events was asked to call Lenoir County Communications at 252-559-6118.

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A North Carolina man decided to take a more creative approach to tackling a persistent bear problem in his backyard by putting on a cartoony bear costume and, somehow, successfully scaring the unwelcome ursid away.

Video footage captured a man in Asheville, bravely approaching a ferocious-looking black bear in his own brown bear costume that more closely resembled a college mascot.

The man emerges from the side, attempting a mock prowl while slowly approaching the wild animal.

With caution thrown into the wind, the costumed man kept inching forward bit by bit, even growling at the black bear.

Before he got too close, the black bear appeared to have been spooked. It scampered away, but not before pausing at the edge of the property to stare down his faux counterpart before giving up and making its way back into the woods.

The black bear had been spotted multiple times on the property, and the residents were fed up and decided to take matters into their own hands.

Bears tend to have seemingly erratic responses to challenges in their path.

In July, a black bear and her cub opted to tear a car to pieces in Connecticut when they somehow became trapped inside the vehicle.

Meanwhile, in New York, brown bears demonstrated a type of fearlessness that speaks against any sort of survival instinct as they pranced across a frozen pond.

Hundreds of firefighters converged on a rural North Carolina county Monday to battle at least three blazes that have scorched almost 8 square miles, destroyed at least three homes and multiple other buildings and forced mandatory evacuations.

The fires come as much of western North Carolina remains in recovery mode from horrific flooding driven by Hurricane Helene six months ago.

The two largest fires had burned more than 7 square miles in Polk County and were 0% contained late Sunday, the state Forest Service said. Both have been burning since Wednesday.

In recent weeks, large sections of North Carolina and South Carolina have been designated an “elevated fire risk” by the National Weather Service because of high winds, low humidity and a dearth of rainfall.

“Many areas across the state have seen fires this weekend. A statewide burning ban (is) in place. Do not burn outdoors at all!” the state emergency management agency warned in a social media post. Earlier the agency had urged people to quickly leave evacuation zones, saying visibility in those areas could be reduced, evacuation blocked − and residents “trapped, injured, or killed.”

Damaging storms: System threatens multiple states devastated by killer tornadoes a week ago

In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency to ensure firefighters have the resources needed to combat the Table Rock Fire in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

“The statewide burning ban remains in effect as wildfire risks remain high across the state,” McMaster said in a statement. “Anyone who violates this ban can and will go to jail.”

By Sunday evening, the Table Rock Fire − which ignited Friday − grew to more than 1,300 acres with no containment.

The South Carolina Forestry Commission noted that the current estimate of acres burned includes “several hundred acres that were part of a burnout conducted by wildland firefighters to eliminate the fuels between evacuated residential areas and the many active wildfire fronts.”

“The burnout, which remains in progress, is being deemed successful in removing said fuels,” the South Carolina Forestry Commission said.

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