Masked man attacks group on trail, pulls gun when they fight back, NC police say

A search is underway for a masked man who came from the woods and attacked hikers on a municipal greenway in High Point, North Carolina, investigators say.

The incident happened around 1 p.m. Tuesday, on the 6-mile Bicentennial Greenway, and among the victims is a woman who was punched and knocked to the ground, police said.

“At the time of the assault, two women were walking together. A man who was part of their group was walking several steps ahead,” police said in a June 23 news release.

“A 44-year-old woman (told police) a man wearing dark clothing and a face mask came out of a wooded area, pushed her down and touched her inappropriately. A 32-year-old woman tried to stop the attacker, and he hit her, knocking her to the ground. The 46-year-old man heard the commotion and ran back to the women.”

The attacker then pulled a gun and fled the scene, which is near the 200-acre Gibson Park complex.

Both women were taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, officials said.

The incident is being investigated “as an assault with sexual motives,” police said.

“I understand incidents like this can raise questions, and I want to assure our community members that incidents of this nature are extremely rare along and around the Bicentennial Greenway,” said High Point Chief of Police Curtis Cheeks III said in the news release.

High Point is about a 75-mile drive northeast from uptown Charlotte.