Accused killers vanish after family massacre before manhunt ends hundreds of miles away
Murder in Gaston County Home Triggers Inter‑state Chase, Suspects Found Dead
GASTON COUNTY, N.C. – A sudden burst of gunfire inside a family home on Forbes Road in Gaston County on Thursday morning set off a frantic police search that crossed state lines and ended with the deaths of two suspects in a high‑speed crash in Ohio.
The shooting began at about 8:43 a.m. when Gaston County police received a call reporting gunfire inside the residence. Officers found four people inside the house with gunshot wounds. Two—Victoria “Heather” Moore, 50, and Megan “Josiah” Bumgardner, 38—were pronounced dead on the scene. The other two victims were transported to CaroMont Regional Medical Center in critical but stable condition, according to police.
Moore was identified as the mother of 26‑year‑old Camryn Moore, while Bumgardner was her uncle. Police have said that everyone involved in the incident knew each other and that the shooting was an isolated event with no continuing threat to the community.
Investigators quickly named Camryn Moore and 29‑year‑old Cory Armstrong as suspects. A warrant was issued on Thursday evening for each of them, charging them with two counts of first‑degree murder and two counts of attempted first‑degree murder. The motive for the shooting remains unknown.
The suspects fled the home immediately after the gunfire. The Gaston County Police Department, with the help of the U.S. Marshals Service Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, began tracking the pair’s movements. By Friday afternoon, the chase had reached Ohio, near Athens. State troopers spotted the suspects’ vehicle outside the town and attempted to pull it over, but the driver refused to stop and a multi‑county pursuit ensued.
The chase ended when the suspects’ vehicle swerved to avoid spike strips that had been deployed on the highway. The car crashed, and police heard two gunshots coming from the wrecked vehicle. A drone was deployed to inspect the vehicle; the drone’s footage showed that Moore and Armstrong were dead inside the wreck. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is now investigating the pursuit, crash, and the deaths of the suspects. Gaston County officials have said they have not yet disclosed who fired the shots or the manner of the suspects’ deaths.
Neighbors of the home were stunned by the violence that had erupted on a normally peaceful street. Loretta Forbes, who lives across the street and whose family’s grandfather built her home in 1914, said, “I just kept saying, ‘My God. Oh God,’ coming down the stairs. They seem to be very nice people. It just shakes you up to think that could happen so close by.” She added that she was praying for the family and “wants to know what’s happened, wants to know about the family.”
Jennifer Greene, a friend and co‑worker of Heather Moore, drove to the house after Moore failed to report for work that morning. She called the police and told investigators, “This was a tragic act of violence that resulted in the loss of multiple lives and left others critically injured.”
The Gaston County Police Department issued a statement saying, “The search for the suspects has ended, but our investigation has not.” Police are urging anyone with information about the shooting to contact Detective G. Lancaster at 704‑866‑3320 or CrimeStoppers at 704‑861‑8000.
The case is still developing. At present, investigators are working to determine what sparked the violence, who fired the fatal shots, and what circumstances led to the fatal crash in Ohio. The community of Gastonia remains shaken by the sudden loss of life in its streets, and officials have promised to keep the public informed as new details emerge.