Gunfire erupted inside a home in the 600 block of 14th Street SW in southwest Hickory around 6:50 p.m. Wednesday, leaving two people shot and prompting officers to seal off the surrounding neighborhood as they worked the scene.
The Hickory Police Department first reported responding to shots fired at that address, according to a post from the Hickory Police Department on Facebook. Emergency radio traffic from the scene indicated at least one victim was shot inside the home, while officers blocked off 14th Street SW at 5th Avenue SW to redirect traffic during the search, according to Catawba Valley News & Weather.
Police said two victims were found in the shooting, though names, ages, and medical conditions have not been released. The department said it will share additional information as it becomes available, and it is asking anyone with information to call 828-328-5551.
Open Questions Remain in Active Investigation
As of now, it remains unclear whether the shooting was targeted, domestic, or random, and no suspect description or vehicle information has been made public. The case falls under the Hickory Police Department, led by Chief Bryan Adams, a 27-year agency veteran who was promoted to the role on July 1, 2025, after serving as deputy chief and heading the criminal investigations unit, according to HickoryNC.gov. Adams previously led the department's vice-narcotics and special operations teams.
The department operates out of the Floyd W. Lucas Jr. Police Headquarters on 2nd Avenue SW with roughly 157 full-time personnel, and it leans on its Police and Community Together framework for neighborhood engagement, Hoodline previously reported while covering another active Hickory case. Officers routinely turn to social media to post updates and solicit tips from the public in ongoing investigations.
A Busy Stretch for Hickory Police
The 14th Street SW shooting comes just a week after Hickory Police responded on October 7 to an unresponsive person found in the parking lot of the Lowe's Home Improvement on 21st Street Drive SE, an incident the department later deemed non-suspicious. EMS and fire crews attempted lifesaving measures before the person was pronounced dead at the scene, a case Hoodline detailed in earlier coverage.
The city has also seen more serious gunfire incidents in recent months. In April, a fatal officer-involved shooting occurred on 5th Street SE after a 64-year-old man discharged a handgun at passing vehicles and pointed it at responding officers, according to HickoryNC.gov, with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation assigned to conduct an independent review. And in October 2025, police investigated a residential double shooting at the Glenwood Commons apartment complex after a suspect forced entry into an acquaintance's unit and opened fire, per WCNC, with the suspect later arrested in nearby Conover and charged with first-degree burglary and felonious assault.
Potential Charges Under State Law
Should a suspect be identified and arrested in the 14th Street SW case, North Carolina General Statutes § 14-32 outlines the potential felony exposure for assaults involving a deadly weapon. Assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury is a Class E felony carrying up to 88 months in prison, while assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury is a Class C felony carrying up to 231 months, according to Justia Law.
Hickory, a city in Catawba County with an estimated population of 46,353 in 2026, has grappled with other high-profile gun violence in recent years. A house-party shooting left one person dead and 11 injured, as Hoodline reported. The identities and conditions of the two victims from Wednesday's shooting on 14th Street SW remain undisclosed as the investigation continues.
