Here’s what the Guilford County Sheriff’s Department reported in an extremely short press release it sent out on Monday, Oct. 21.
“Sheriff Danny H. Rogers reports that on October 21, 2024, at approximately 6 a.m., District 2 Deputies with the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office (GSCO) responded to a 911 call regarding an ‘unknown problem, man down.’ Deputies arrived at 4925 Harvest Road, McLeansville, NC 27301 and located a deceased male individual suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.”
The only other information provided by the Sheriff’s Office is that this is currently an active homicide investigation and there is “no further information to share.”
The department is also requesting that anyone with information related to the investigation contact Detective D. Duncan at 336-641-5968 or call Guilford County Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000.
But there are several interesting things that aren’t mentioned in the very brief statement from the Sheriff’s Office.
While the statement notes that the site of the shooting as 4925 Harvest Road in McLeansville, it did not mention that that address is the site of the Greensboro Muslim Cemetery.
In the wake of last year’s October attack on Israel by Hamas and the resulting outbreak of war in Gaza and a growing war in the Middle East, the US has seen numerous hate crimes conducted against both the Jewish and Muslim communities.
When the Rhino Times pointed out to the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office that the site was that of a Muslim cemetery and asked the Office whether this appeared to be a hate crime, the Office provided the following terse response via email: “The investigation is still ongoing. No further information to share.”
What is interesting is what is not included in the press release pertaining to the shooting. Usually, with a press release related to a shooting or other type of homicide, the release includes language stating that the shooting is considered to be an “isolated incident” and the release also normally notes that “There is no immediate threat to the community.”
However, that language was noticeably missing from the press release sent out by the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office in regard to the October 21 shooting at the Muslim cemetery.
The Rhino Times does not have any evidence whatsoever that there is a shooter on the loose in the community targeting Muslims, but, if that is not the case, it would be nice of the Sheriff’s Office to say so.
It’s understandable that the Sheriff’s Department may want to keep some details regarding ongoing investigations private; however, it is utterly astounding the extent to which the current Guilford County Sheriff’s Office is a complete and total black box, with the department unwilling to provide even the most minute details as they pertain to any incident.
In fact, recently, when an inmate charged with a violent crime escaped from the Guilford County jail in downtown Greensboro, not only did the Sheriff’s Office not make area citizens aware of that fact – but, when WXII News asked directly multiple times whether an inmate had escaped from the jail, the Sheriff’s Office lied to WXII and said no escape had taken place.
Here’s the excuse the department later gave for lying to the public.
“Releasing information to the public at that juncture,” it read, “would have compromised the investigation and apprehension of Diaz-Gomez by alerting him that his scheme had been discovered and that Deputies were searching for him in the Winston-Salem area.”
Former Guilford County Sheriff BJ Barnes in a post in the Rhino Times’ article comment section stated that that response was patently absurd because clearly the inmate, of course, realized law enforcement agencies were looking for him after he had escaped from jail.
Two sources who formerly worked for the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office said the hope of the Office was that deputies could catch the escaped inmate in time to never even have to announce the escape.
They also said that Sheriff Rogers has recently been furious about all the “leaks” from his Office that were showing up in the media.
Whatever one thinks about the Sheriff’s Office under former Sheriff BJ Barnes, and under current Sheriff Danny Rogers, one thing is crystal clear: The difference in transparency is night and day.
During the time that Barnes ran the office for nearly a quarter of a century, he was always readily available at any time of the day or night for the media, and he would speak openly, exhaustively and at whatever length was required to the Rhino Times and other media outlets to explain what was happening in his department.
Barnes did so even when the facts were absolutely brutal, such as 15 years ago when an inmate died after being improperly – against all rules and guidelines – strapped tightly to a chair for three days straight over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
That lawsuit cost Guilford County half a million dollars and looked nothing but terrible for the Sheriff’s Department. However, for weeks, Barnes completely answered every question asked about it and provided all requested documents – including the damning signed rounds sheets that listed when detention officers had made their rounds and checked on the inmate. The sheets showed the detention officers had not made the necessary checks on the inmate to observe his condition and make sure his health was not in danger.
It is a radical difference between the current Guilford County Sheriff’s Office’s policy of always having a spokesperson providing zero information with the excuse that something is an ongoing investigation and there is no further information to share.
In fact, like WXII, when an inmate escaped from the jail in Greensboro recently, the Rhino Times had been informed by multiple sources – and knew well – that an inmate had escaped; however, the Rhino Times didn’t even bother to inquire because the publication knew the answer from the Sheriff’s Office would be completely non-responsive.
The Rhino Times is pleased that WXII, which is truly an excellent area news outlet, did go to the trouble of asking the Sheriff’s Office directly about the escape because, while it’s not rare for a law enforcement agency to withhold information or offer a “No comment” response to the press, it is very rare for it to outright lie to the community that it is sworn to protect.
No surprises here. Another example of DEI job placement.
This was a waste this crime happened to a close African American family member of mine.
I’m sorry for your family. I hope that you have a resolution about what happened quickly.
Comments by the news, and especially social media people, should be reserved until more details are available and the family has been notified. It’s inappropriate, rude, and just plain mean for people to share their personal opinions of an incident involving an accident, death, or injury when people are grieving. Our manners have been totally lost and it’s time we get back to some proper decorum that demonstrates polite kindness.
Very well said Rhino and WXII. What can happen with 2 more years of the “Cowboy hat” Sheriff? I wonder when he is going to fill the 120 vacancies so that his current working people can have some needed time off and not be over stressed, make mistakes and get hurt. Interesting his recently promoted Chief Deputy just put in his Retirement paperwork.
WXII is indeed an excellent TV news outlet, much superior to WGHP(8) and WFMY(2) which are nowhere near as competent and extremely left wing.
Check out WGHP’s digital news team.
Why?
One of their digital reporters is a bit, let’s say, confused.
This is excellent information. I had assumed the sheriff’s department was transparent, but instead, I’ve witnessed a lack of transparency. Could the errors be attributed to the inexperience of the many new employees under Rogers? The sheriff’s office is experiencing numerous mistakes. I pray for a resolution before someone is harmed. Sheriff Rogers’ own inexperience in law enforcement suggests these issues will continue.
Thanks Scott for acknowledging the fact under my administration we tried to be transparent.. My folks were not always perfect, but they were perfectly honest or they would be gone. I was proud to serve with them. I’m afraid this Rogers administration does not hold itself to the same standards. It’s a shame, Guilford County deserves and pays for better.
The Black voters can be thanked for the election of Danny H. Rogers. Blacks thought Rogers was a must win so every concerted effort was employed to assure that would happen, regardless of consequences.