Edgecombe County Sheriff Clee Atkinson told the Telegram a trail ride on Saturday night off N.C. 33 east to southeast of Whitakers was shut down.

Atkinson told the newspaper, which had reached out to him via email on Monday, that his office would not be posting anything about what occurred at the GQ Ridas 2023 annual trail ride via his office’s Facebook page. Atkinson’s office uses the social media site to send out news releases.