A man was shot in the neck during an armed robbery at E-Zee Auto Sales on Cleveland Road on Friday afternoon.
Moments after being shot, Isai Ntirenganya, 30, managed to cross the busy road where a dental assistant spotted him.
A worker for Dr. Lane and Associates Family Dentistry brought the victim into the dental office where he was treated.
“Did the best we could,” said Dr. Matt Miller, a sedation dentist who treated Ntirenganya.
“I came in and saw the guy covered in blood and I knew he’d been shot,” Miller said.
Miller said his training included how to handle trauma. He also served in the military.
“We went through a trauma assessment of him and did what we could to stabilize his vital signs before the paramedics arrived,” Miller said.
“It was scary. I know that a lot of the people in the office were really taken aback,” Kaitlyn Painter who works at the dental office and arrived shortly after said.
The dental office workers also called 911.
The shooting happened around 3:40 p.m. Friday. Investigators said Ntirenganya was working by himself when two masked men and a woman tried to rob him.
There was a struggle. Miller said Ntirenganya was shot in the neck.
“He’s actually like family. I know him for like 12 years. He’s been working for us for a really long time,” said Basel Masri, owner of E-Z Auto Sales.
Masri said the used car dealership has been there for 17 years and nothing like this has ever happened.
“It’s so bad. It feels bad. But I wish they could catch those cowards. It’s not good,” Masri said.
As for Dr. Miller, he was glad to help.
“I was thinking you don’t see this in a dental office every day. But I mean its a once in a career thing,” Miller said.
The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office is still looking for the two men and a woman behind the armed robbery and shooting. They said they were seen leaving the dealership in a cream-colored Ford Fusion with a 30-day tag headed toward Smithfield.
Anyone with information is asked to call authorities.
