Elizabeth City police are searching for a 20-year-old man accused of firing shots into an occupied home on Laurel Avenue Sunday afternoon, an incident that prompted officers to canvass the neighborhood and warn the public not to approach the suspect. Officers were called to the 700 block of Laurel Avenue at 2:15 p.m. after reports of gunfire, and investigators have since identified Jermell Donte Grubbs Jr. as the man they believe pulled the trigger.
According to WAVY.com, officers canvassed the area and interviewed witnesses after the shooting before obtaining warrants against Grubbs. Those warrants include three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling, discharging a firearm within city limits, possession of a firearm by a felon, and communicating threats, the station reports. As of Sunday, Grubbs had not been taken into custody, and the Elizabeth City Police Department confirmed the warrants following its investigation into the shots-fired call, according to WNCT.
What the Charges Could Mean for Grubbs
The felon-in-possession charge carries particular weight under a recent change to state law. North Carolina Session Law 2025-71 elevates possessing a firearm as a convicted felon from a Class G felony to a Class C felony when the weapon is discharged during the commission of another felony, according to the UNC School of Government. The revised statute resembles 18 U.S.C. § 924(c).
Separately, discharging a firearm into an occupied property is itself a felony offense under North Carolina General Statute § 14-34.1, with penalties that escalate depending on intent and the danger posed to anyone inside, Hoodline has reported in prior coverage of a similar case. General Statute § 14-32(a), (b), and (c) describes felony assault offenses, including Class C and Class E felonies, per the Eustache Law Firm.
Police Urge Public Not to Approach
Elizabeth City police are asking anyone with information about Grubbs' whereabouts to come forward, but have been clear that residents should not confront him directly and should instead contact law enforcement. Tips can be submitted through the department's main line, its Crime Line, or its FUSUS Text-a-Tip service, channels the agency has used in other recent gun violence investigations, per 13News Now.
The search is being overseen by Chief Eddie Graham Jr., who has more than 20 years of service with the department and was appointed to the permanent chief position in September 2025 after serving in an interim capacity since that May, according to 13News Now. The outlet notes Graham received unanimous City Council approval for the role.
A Pattern of Armed Violence Calls
This is not the first time Elizabeth City police have asked the public to help track down an armed suspect this year. In January, officers sought help locating 21-year-old Joash Tshawn Garland on charges including assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and felon in possession, stemming from a shooting in the 1000 block of Walkers Avenue, WNCT reported. And in May, a fatal shooting at Emerald Lake Circle Apartments left a 15-year-old boy dead and resulted in the arrest of another 15-year-old, a case 13News Now covered as part of its ongoing crime reporting.
In July, police arrested two people and recovered multiple shell casings after a gunfire call near Shirley and McPherson streets, the station's report shows, including a bicycle found at the scene alongside spent casings. Federal crime data for 2024, released in late 2025, put Elizabeth City's violent crime rate at roughly 341 incidents per 100,000 residents, a figure that closely tracks the national average, according to AreaVibes.
No arrest had been announced as of the latest update, and it remains unclear whether anyone inside the Laurel Avenue home was injured or what relationship, if any, existed between Grubbs and the occupants. Police have not said whether they believe Grubbs remains in the Elizabeth City area.
