What started as a late-night scene in downtown Asheville turned into a scramble for cover early Sunday when gunfire ripped through a crowd, injuring nine people and jolting North Lexington Avenue awake.
Officers were called to the 100 block of North Lexington Avenue around 3:15 a.m. Police later said detectives have identified a person of interest and stressed there is no ongoing danger to the public. Most of the injuries were described as minor, and officials said all nine people hurt in the incident were treated and released.
When officers arrived, they found multiple injured people scattered among a large crowd and immediately began rendering aid until EMS could take over, according to WYFF. In a news release, Asheville Police said seven victims were struck by stray gunfire or bullet fragments, one person was hurt while trying to escape to safety, and another was physically assaulted and suffered a concussion. Police said the victims either drove themselves or were taken to Mission Hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Police Capt. Joe Silberman told the Asheville Citizen-Times that an officer already on patrol nearby heard the shots, rushed in and quickly applied a tourniquet to one of the wounded. Department spokesperson Rick Rice said officers made it to the scene in under a minute. Spokesperson Samantha Booth told the paper that investigators are weighing when to release more information and that detectives believe there is no ongoing threat. Police said they have identified a person of interest and are following up on leads while they process evidence and witness statements.
Weekend of violence raises alarm
The North Lexington Avenue shooting capped a rough weekend in Asheville. Police were already investigating the city’s first homicide of the year early Saturday near Granada Street, followed by a separate deadly incident on Patton Avenue later in the weekend, according to WYFF. Authorities said they do not currently believe any of the incidents are connected. Patrol officers and forensic teams remained busy through the weekend as detectives chased down tips.
How to help investigators
Asheville Police are asking anyone who saw what happened, or who has video from the scene, to contact the department at (828) 252-1110 or send an anonymous tip by texting TIP2APD to 847411, according to FOX Carolina. Detectives said even brief phone clips can be key to identifying the shooter and locking in the timeline of events. They urged residents to save any footage and share it directly with investigators rather than relying only on social media posts.
As the investigation continues, authorities again emphasized that there is no known ongoing threat and urged anyone with information to step forward, as reported by the Charlotte Observer. Asheville Police said they will provide further updates as detectives develop new leads.
