— A veteran newspaper carrier was approached by four men and shot at while he was completing his route on Durant Road on Tuesday morning.

The man, who did not want to be identified, said he was approached by a car carrying four men near the train tracks when someone got out of the car and started shooting at him.

In a 911 call, the man can be heard telling the dispatcher that the shots were fired from a small blue car being driven by a man in a white hoodie. He said he wasn't sure why the shots had been fired, but speculated that perhaps the driver of the blue car was upset over the fact that their car was on the icy part of the road while the car belonging to the newspaper carrier was on a cleared portion of road.

The man's wife said there were multiple bullet holes in his car.

"He put the car in reverse and bullets just started coming at the windshield," she said. "It hit his tire, it hit the front bumper. So, he got out of there pretty fast."

Both the newspaper carrier and his wife say they are in shock.

"We were shocked. It's shocking. He's still in shock right now," she said.

Another incident with a similar suspect description was reported on Thornton Commons Drive and Meryton Park Way the same morning, police said. In that case, police said a suspect pointed a gun at the carrier's car but didn't shoot. In a 911 call, the driver said that four people jumped out of a small, four-door black car and pointed the gun.

Investigators believe the carriers were specifically targeted.

"He's been doing this for 20 plus years. This never happens," his wife said.

Police and the victims are urging other newspaper carriers to take precautions.

"Be cafe, be safe, be aware of your surroundings," she said.

Both carriers work for the News and Observer. A spokesperson for the newspaper said they are "reaching out to all of the carriers urging them to be alert and cautious."

The spokesperson said the carriers to not handle cash.

No arrests have been made.