A man was found suffering from a gunshot wound at the Social Security Administration office at 1071 Hunter Hill Road in Rocky Mount around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, and police say he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities closed eastbound and westbound lanes near the scene and urged the public to avoid the area while officers investigated.
The Rocky Mount Police Department responded to a report of a shooting at the office, according to ABC11 News. Police say the incident is isolated and does not pose an ongoing threat to the public, even as the investigation continues. A separate report from Fighting Crime News and Who's Wanted indicates the department's Criminal Investigation Unit and Forensic Unit were both dispatched to process the scene while lanes near the site were shut down.
A Federal Building With Strict Weapons Rules
The office sits inside an 11,275-square-foot facility leased by the General Services Administration from Oakwood Properties LLC under a 10-year, $5.29 million agreement finalized in 2023, according to a listing on SAM.gov. Federal law strictly prohibits unauthorized firearms inside public federal buildings like Social Security field offices, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 930 that can carry penalties of up to five years in prison, per the Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. It remains unknown how the firearm was brought into the building or whether security screening was active at the entrance at the time of the shooting, an open question in the case.
Security at federal facilities nationwide is generally managed by the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Protective Service, which oversees roughly 9,000 locations using contract security guards. A March 2025 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office flagged ongoing guard oversight and staffing challenges at tenant agency sites such as Social Security offices. Those same guard shortages contributed to 510 separate office closures nationwide between fiscal years 2022 and 2024, according to the GAO's July 2024 findings.
A Vital Hub for Two Counties
The Rocky Mount field office serves residents across both Nash and Edgecombe counties, processing claims for retirement, Medicare, Supplemental Security Income and Social Security Disability benefits, according to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction. That reliance is especially pronounced locally: an estimated 11.7% of Rocky Mount residents live with a disability, compared with 9.4% statewide and 8.6% nationally, per the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin. Rocky Mount's broader population sits at roughly 54,300 to 55,000 residents with a median household income of $59,636 and an individual poverty rate of 15.2%, according to Data USA figures for 2024.
Part of a Difficult Year for Rocky Mount
Wednesday's shooting adds to a string of firearm incidents that have tested Rocky Mount law enforcement in recent months, including an August drive-by shooting in Happy Hill and an officer-involved shooting on Sunset Avenue in April. Police have not released the identity of the man who died, and the investigation into the circumstances leading up to the shooting remains ongoing.
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis or thoughts of suicide can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, a free, confidential resource available 24/7, in line with reporting guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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