A 52-year-old Kinston man was rushed to the hospital after being shot inside a home on Lincoln Street late Thursday night, and police still have not identified a suspect or a motive. Officers found Robert Ethridge wounded at a residence in the 600 block of Lincoln Street and provided emergency medical aid until paramedics arrived to take him to ECU Health for treatment.
Police Responded to Gunshot Report
According to the Kinston Police Department, officers contacted several individuals inside the residence, including Ethridge. Police say officers gave Ethridge medical aid until EMS arrived and transported him to ECU Health for treatment. The department's Investigations Division is now leading the inquiry, and the Crime Lab responded to the scene, the department said.
The call came in at approximately 10:44 p.m. Thursday, when the department's A-Squad responded to a report of a gunshot wound at the address, according to Neuse News.
Open Questions Remain in Active Investigation
Police have not released Ethridge's current medical condition, nor have they named a suspect or offered a possible motive for the shooting. Whether any charges will be filed under the state's felony assault statutes also remains unknown. Under North Carolina General Statute § 14-32, an assault committed with a deadly weapon with intent to kill that inflicts serious injury is classified as a Class C felony, carrying a potential prison sentence of up to 182 months depending on a defendant's prior record, according to the North Carolina General Assembly.
The Kinston Police Department is urging anyone with information to come forward. The agency, led by Chief Keith Goyette since his permanent appointment in February 2023 after 22 years with the department, collects community tips for active investigations through its browser-based iWITNESS portal and dedicated phone tip lines, the City of Kinston says.
A Block With a Troubled History
This is not the first time the 600 block of Lincoln Street has drawn an emergency response. Back in April 2020, the same stretch saw police and fire crews investigate a second-degree arson case at an abandoned house at 608 Lincoln Street, Neuse News reported at the time, underscoring how vacant structures in the area have periodically drawn public safety attention over the years.
The Lincoln Street shooting also lands amid a stretch of gun violence cases working through the Kinston Police Department's caseload this month. Nine days earlier, KPD investigated a Stadium Drive shooting that wounded two 15-year-old boys and led to attempted murder charges against one juvenile.
No arrests have been announced in connection with the Lincoln Street shooting, and the investigation remains active. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kinston Police Department through its iWITNESS portal or its telephone tip lines.
