Keith Strange/The News

Deputies and police officers are on the scene of what they think was an attempted murder/suicide on the outskirts of Dobson last night. Two victims were transported to Wake Forest Baptist Health with gunshot wounds to the head following the shooting.

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DOBSON — Two victims were airlifted to Wake Forest Baptist Health with gunshot wounds to the head following what police believe was an attempted murder/suicide just outside Dobson last night.

Surry County Sheriff Graham Atkinson said deputies initially received a call to a mobile home located at 641 Cave Road just after 8:30 p.m. with the caller stating simply that they “needed help.”

“The caller didn’t give us any details about what was going on, and when officers arrived a male subject came to the door,” he said.

The subject who answered the officer’s knock told them to wait “just a minute,” Atkinson said, adding that the responding officers reported that they could hear what appeared to be a domestic disturbance in the background.

“The second responding officer looked into a window and saw a male subject with a gun and a female subject on the bed,” the sheriff said.

Shortly after noticing the subject with the firearm, the lights in the mobile home were turned off, preventing officers from seeing what was going on in the home, Atkinson said.

After the lights were turned off, officers spotted a third subject exiting the mobile home.

The subject, who police believe is related to the female, was unharmed.

Officers on the scene then heard two gunshots and made entry to the home.

They discovered a male and a female with gunshot wounds to the head. Police declined to offer specifics about the weapon involved, other than to say they believe it to have been a handgun.

Police declined to name the male subject pending notification of his family, but said the female victim was identified as Margaret Dixon. The man who left the home prior to the shooting is believed to be related to Dixon, but details at press time were sketchy.

The sheriff said both victims had suffered what he called “serious injuries” but details about their condition was unavailable.

Shortly before press time last night, officers were still on the scene awaiting a search warrant to enter the home.

Atkinson said officers would be on the scene throughout the night and more details would be available as the investigation continues.

Reach Keith Strange at kstrange@heartlandpublications.com or 719-1929.