A 15-year-old was shot Sunday in Kinston’s St. John Village neighborhood, and the first officers on the scene ended up providing life-saving care before medics could get there, according to police. The teen had a single gunshot wound to the upper torso and was taken to ECU Health Medical Center for treatment. Officers had originally been responding to a reported burglary in progress when they heard multiple shots nearby. Investigators later detained a male dressed in all black who was seen running westbound across Parker Street while they processed the scene.
What police say
Officers were on their way to a burglary-in-progress call when they heard several gunshots in the St. John Village area, according to a Facebook post by the Kinston Police Department. They found the 15-year-old with an upper-torso gunshot wound and immediately started life-saving measures until Emergency Medical Services arrived. Crime-scene personnel and investigators then moved in to process the area. Police said they detained a male dressed in all black who was running westbound across Parker Street, and the circumstances remain under active investigation.
Where the victim was taken
The teen was transported to ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville, which is the region’s Level I trauma center and regularly receives serious injuries from across eastern North Carolina. The hospital is the flagship teaching facility for East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine.
Investigation and how to help
Detectives are still interviewing witnesses and combing through physical evidence as the case remains active, according to the Kinston Police Department. Anyone with information is asked to call the department’s Tips Line at 252-939-4020 or contact Lenoir County Crime Stoppers at 252-523-4444 for confidential, anonymous tips. Crime Stoppers said callers may be eligible for a cash reward.
Local context
Shooting incidents have repeatedly drawn police resources in Kinston and Lenoir County over the past year, with several cases leading to arrests and ongoing investigations. Local outlet WITN has reported on prior Kinston shootings and arrests in 2025 that underscore the challenges facing investigators.
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