LENOIR, N.C. — SWAT teams conducted a raid early Monday morning at the Pagans motorcycle clubhouse in Caldwell County, in connection with a deadly shooting at the Outlaws clubhouse in Newton on June 8 where one was killed and one was hurt.
The State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) confirmed that two SWAT teams from Lenoir police and the sheriff’s office executed a search warrant at the Pagans clubhouse around 4 a.m. The raid is linked to a shooting incident at the Outlaws clubhouse, which occurred weeks prior.
A spokesperson with the SBI confirmed the connection between the raid and the deadly shooting at the Outlaws clubhouse in Newton.
MORE COVERAGE:
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Outside the Pagan clubhouse, shattered glass was visible in the parking lot, indicating the intensity of the raid. Authorities reported that SWAT teams entered the building first, followed by agents who conducted the search.
Neighbors reported seeing a significant police presence along Highway 321 and hearing an explosion as the raid commenced.
Resident Betty Pittman lives a block away and woke to the sound of the raid.
“Me and my husband and the grand babies, it scared them to death,” Pittman said. “We didn’t know what was going on.”
The SBI stated that agents spent over three hours collecting evidence from the clubhouse.
No charges have been filed related to the Newton shooting.
However, during the raid, Anthony Lee Card was arrested and charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon by the Lenoir Police Department.
He was taken to the Caldwell County Detention Center for processing and is currently under a $50,000 secured bond.
Resident Pete Walser can see the Pagans clubhouse from his front yard and supports what the police do in the area.
“I think it’s good,” Walser said. “They need to kind of move out of here and let the neighborhood be peaceful again.”
A neighbor, who didn’t want to be identified, hopes the group finds a new home.
“I’d like to see them gone,” the neighbor said. “It’s just a bad element. It’s all hours of the night. All hours of the weekend.”
VIDEO: Disputes between Pagans, Outlaws preceded deadly clubhouse shooting, police say
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