North Carolina Man Celebrates Big Lottery Win: 'We're Just Ecstatic'

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A man in North Carolina is "ecstatic" after hitting the jackpot to score a six-figure prize.

Pernell Shoulars Jr., of Fayetteville, stopped by the Short Trip on Stoney Point Road on Friday (July 29) where he picked up a $10 Triple Win Fast Play lottery ticket. According to a release from the NC Education Lottery, Shoulars thought his luck had run out after seeing someone had just hit the $272,829 jackpot; however his mood changed when the store clerk told him he was the lucky winner.

"I thought someone else hit it right before me," said Shoulars. "Then he told me, 'You did it, you hit it.'"

After learning of his win, he called his wife to let her in on his amazing news, and of course she celebrated this massive prize.

"She was at a convention with some friends so they popped some champagne to celebrate," he said.

Shoulars claimed his prize at lottery headquarters on Tuesday (August 2), taking home $193,739 after all required state and federal tax withholdings. When asked what he plans to do with his new winnings, he told lottery officials he hopes to take his wife on a vacation. He also plans to invest some of the prize and do work around his house.

"We're going to enjoy it, but we're going to be smart with it too," Shoulars said. He added, "We're just ecstatic. It's truly a blessing."