A fatal shooting earlier this week is under investigation. At 7:09 a.m. Monday (September 7) the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office received several 911 calls about a shooting that occurred on Toby’s Footlog Drive off Howard’s Bridge Road in Union Grove. One of the calls was from a person stating they were responsible for firing the shot.

When the deputies arrived on scene, they found a man, 46-year-old Baron Thomas Cass, deceased in a field. The deputies found three witnesses who told them the man who fired the shot was still in the area. The deputies went to a residence near the location, and met with a man who made statements about firing a gun.

The shooter was identified as a former non-sworn detention officer at the Iredell County sheriff’s office who left employment with the agency in 2006. As a result of the reported shooter’s previous employment, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation was requested by the Sheriff’s Office to assist in this joint investigation.

Witnesses said a physical altercation preceded the shooting. The crime scene was processed, and evidence was collected. A search of the residence of the reported shooter was conducted and additional evidence was obtained. The evidence was to be submitted to crime laboratories for processing.

An autopsy is planned for this week. All information and lab results received as a part of this investigation was to be submitted to the District Attorney’s Office.