The Fayetteville man accused of shooting three women and committing two carjackings is also accused of being affiliated with a well-known street gang.
Court documents state that 52-year-old Robert Page is a member of the Eight Trey Crips gang operating in Cumberland County.
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It’s a gang former U.S. Attorney Michael Easley Jr. is familiar with.
“When someone is a validated member of a street gang, it means they meet a number of criteria showing ongoing connections with that gang,” Easley said.
Easley also explained the gang’s history.
“That was founded in South Central L.A. in the 1980s, and over the course of the decades, they have propagated throughout the United States to include North and South Carolina,” Easley said.
Easley said the gang has even flown ranking members to Raleigh.
“Who took up residence right here on Glenwood Avenue to teach the local chapter of the Eight Trey Gangster Crips how to better cut up the narcotics they were trafficking,” Easley said.
Fayetteville police say Page was involved in three shootings and two carjackings Sunday morning.
He faces several charges, including two counts of attempted first-degree murder.
“I can’t speak all about his actions being characterized as gang violence because we really don’t know if it was directed by gang or done for the benefit of the gang. But what we do know is that gang life and the violence that is often associated with it doesn’t stay within gang life,” Easley said.
E-Courts records show Page has a lengthy criminal history spanning more than two decades.
His prior charges include breaking and entering and felony larceny.
WRAL reached out to Fayetteville police, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI to clarify how investigators determined that Page was a validated gang member.
We are still waiting for answers.
For parents or guardians looking for resources to help protect children from gang violence, Easley pointed to Neighbor to Neighbor, a faith-based Raleigh nonprofit focused on youth mentoring, employment and community outreach.
A 2024 WRAL documentary, 'Easy Targets,' explores the state's gang problem.