St. Pauls, North Carolina — October 2, 2025: Authorities identified Joshua Caleb Hunt, age 25, as the man who died following a shootout and standoff with multiple law enforcement agencies at a residence on Ice Cream Drive in St. Pauls.
According to officials, law enforcement officers were attempting to execute a search warrant when Hunt allegedly emerged from a camper with a rifle and fired multiple rounds at officers. Authorities say officers immediately returned fire, causing Hunt to retreat inside the camper.
After an extended standoff, law enforcement deployed tear gas into the camper, prompting another person inside to surrender. When officers entered, they found Hunt dead from a gunshot wound. It is unclear whether the fatal shot was self-inflicted or came from law enforcement fire.
The incident involved multiple agencies, including the Robeson County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the Hope Mills Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the U.S. Marshals Service.
The case remains under a pending investigation. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is leading the review of the incident, with assistance from federal partners.
Local news coverage by ABC11, The Robesonian, and WPDE ABC15 has detailed the sequence of events and the ongoing investigation into Hunt’s death.
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Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available reports as of the date of publication. Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys does not independently verify third-party claims and makes no representation regarding the completeness or accuracy of external reporting. All individuals are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.