Goldsboro police were called to reports of gunfire near 508 East Chestnut Street just after 7 a.m. Tuesday and found a 56-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his leg. The victim has been identified as Lawrence Atkinson, CEO of Goldsboro Entertainment and independent record label Ankh Management & Records, according to a post in a local Facebook group.
Officers responded to the scene near downtown Goldsboro around 7:21 a.m. Tuesday, according to WCTI, before launching a formal investigation through the department's Investigative Services Bureau, which is leading the case, per the Goldsboro Daily News. Wayne County EMS took Atkinson to UNC Health Wayne, the county's primary hospital and emergency department, before he was transferred to ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville for further treatment, police say. No arrests had been announced as of the station's report.
A Recognizable Face in Goldsboro's Music Scene
Beyond the police report, Atkinson is known locally as a music entrepreneur who produces and promotes artists out of a studio on East Pine Street in Goldsboro, according to a post shared in a local Facebook community group. That same post identifies him as the operator of both Goldsboro Entertainment and Ankh Management & Records, giving the case a local profile that extends past a routine shooting report.
ECU Health Medical Center, located roughly 43 miles east of Goldsboro in Greenville, serves as the region's only Level I Adult Trauma Center, covering 29 counties across eastern North Carolina, according to ECU Health. Level I facilities maintain specialized surgical teams around the clock for severe physical trauma, which explains why Atkinson was moved out of Wayne County after initial stabilization at UNC Health Wayne.
No Arrests, No Motive Announced
As of the most recent report, Goldsboro police have not announced any arrests in connection with the shooting, and no motive or suspect description has been released. The department is asking anyone with information to contact investigators, the station's report notes.
The shooting adds to a string of gun violence cases Goldsboro police have investigated this year. In July, officers used ShotSpotter gunshot-detection technology to respond to an early-morning shooting in the 800 block of East End Circle, which led to charges against two suspects. In April, a dawn break-in and standoff in Goldsboro ended with a woman shot, a house on fire, and a suspect dead, a case that triggered an independent review by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation.
Wayne County's Violent Crime Picture
Wayne County recorded a violent crime rate of 421 per 100,000 residents, with aggravated assaults making up 81.8% of all violent crime offenses in the county, according to North Carolina Department of Public Safety profile data released in March 2025. That local trend runs counter to the national picture: preliminary FBI data released in May 2026 showed reported violent crime nationwide fell 9.3% from 2024 to 2025, with aggravated assaults dropping 7.2% among participating agencies.
Under North Carolina law, assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury is classified as a Class E felony, carrying a potential prison sentence of up to 88 months, according to Randall Law. It remains unclear whether that statute will apply once, or if, a suspect is identified in Atkinson's shooting.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Goldsboro police or Goldsboro-Wayne Crime Stoppers at 919-735-2255, which offers cash rewards of up to $1,000 for tips leading to felony arrests, according to Wayne County. The organization has operated in the county since 1982 to assist with felony investigations. As of this report, Atkinson's condition following his transfer to Greenville has not been publicly updated.
