Crime
28-Year-Old Wynton Qushawn Rice Charged with Raping Woman at Knifepoint in Tuscaloosa Parking Deck Restroom
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A 28-year-old Tuscaloosa man has been arrested and formally charged in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a 52-year-old woman in the early morning hours of Saturday at a downtown parking facility.
According to court records made public this week, Wynton Qushawn Rice has been charged with first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy, and second-degree assault.
The victim reported to authorities that she was using the restroom at the Tuscaloosa Transit Authority parking deck between 4:00 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. when an unknown man, later identified as Rice, forced his way into her bathroom stall while armed with a knife.
The victim told investigators that the suspect demanded sex and physically assaulted her, causing a laceration to one of her fingers.
She stated that Rice initially attempted to rape her within the small stall but was unsuccessful due to space constraints.
He then forced her to move to a larger, handicap-accessible stall, where he allegedly raped her and compelled her to perform oral sex.
Charging documents indicate that surveillance footage reviewed by investigators showed Rice entering the women’s restroom at 4:02 a.m. and exiting approximately 26 minutes later.
During an interview with detectives, Rice reportedly provided inconsistent statements. Initially, he claimed he had never been at the location.
He later said he had entered the bathroom but was confronted and forced to leave by a woman inside.
Eventually, he admitted to remaining in the restroom but denied having any sexual contact, stating he was only using the facilities.
Later in the interview, Rice told detectives he encountered a woman he knew only by a nickname and offered her all the cash he had—$3—in exchange for oral sex.
He claimed she agreed and performed the act.
Rice was taken into custody on Sunday and booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail. On Wednesday, a judge set his bond at $100,000.
The investigation is ongoing.
Authorities have not disclosed whether additional charges may be filed.
Crime
Victims Identified in Deadly Robeson County Mass Shooting
Two Dead, 13 Injured in Mass Shooting at Large Party in Robeson County, North Carolina
ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. — A late-night party in eastern North Carolina turned deadly early Saturday morning when gunfire erupted, leaving two people dead and 13 others injured, according to the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Burnis Wilkins confirmed that deputies were called to the scene on Dixon Drive, just outside the town of Maxton, at approximately 3:00 a.m. following reports of a shooting at a large outdoor gathering attended by more than 150 people.
When deputies arrived, chaos had already unfolded — witnesses said over 150 individuals fled the area before law enforcement could secure the scene.
Authorities identified the deceased victims as Jessie Locklear and his son Nehemiah Locklear.
Several other victims sustained critical injuries and were transported to area hospitals for emergency treatment.
Sheriff Wilkins stated that, based on preliminary findings, the shooting appears to have been an isolated incident, and there is no ongoing threat to the wider community.
The Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from multiple agencies, continues to investigate the circumstances that led to the violence.
Detectives are working to determine the motive and identify all parties involved.
Authorities are urging anyone with information—or anyone who attended the gathering and witnessed the incident—to contact the Robeson County Sheriff’s Investigators at 910-671-3100.
“We know there were many people present when this occurred,” Sheriff Wilkins said. “If you saw something or know something, we need you to come forward to help bring justice to the victims and their families.”