A witness at a North Carolina house party that erupted into a mass shooting, leaving 12 people shot and one dead, told local news station WBTV that the scene was unlike anything they’d ever seen, describing it “like a movie.”
Several agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, Hickory Police Department, and North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation are working on the open investigation, and as of Sunday afternoon there is no suspect in custody.
Newsweek has reached out to the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI’s Charlotte field office for comment via email on Sunday.
The Context
Law enforcement responded to reports of people being shot at a residence in Catawba County around 12:45 a.m. on Sunday morning. Twelve victims have been reported, one of whom has been pronounced dead and sixothers are in the local hospital. One is in critical condition in a hospital in Charlotte.
The party involved adults and teenagers, Major Aaron Turk of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office said in a second press release, writing, “the victims range in age from 16 to 58.”
“The investigation indicates more than one shooter was involved in the incident,” Turk said, later noting that “more than 80 shots were fired.”
An estimated 130 to 160 mass shootings have occurred in the U.S. so far this year, according to data from the Mass Shooting Tracker and the Gun Violence Archive.
What To Know
An anonymous witness who was at the house party told WBTV: “I was outside in the yard and I heard a lot of shots going off and people running to the front.”
The crime scene, which was described as “complicated” by Turk, spans around 2 acres, with indoor and outside aspects. It took place on Walnut Acres Drive in the Mountain View community.
The deceased victim has been identified as 58-year-old Shawn Patrick Hood of Lenoi, North Carolina, according to Turk.
“[I] heard a lot of people got shot. I ain’t ever seen anything like this, it was like a movie,” the witness told the station.
The shots, of which there were dozens of, occurred at a “variety of distances,” Turk said. The agencies are not yet providing details on the weapons used in the shooting, noting that there were multiple.
The motive is still unknown, but Turk noted that “we don’t believe that this was random in a circumstance that might endanger the community.”
Law enforcement has interviewed about 70 or so people, Turk confirmed at the press conference. Police have identified the victim who is dead but have not yet released the information as of Sunday afternoon.
Prior to the shooting, police had received a noise compliant about the party.
What People Are Saying
James Barnacle, Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina FBI office, said during the Sunday press conference: “In this particular situation is we are supporting this investigation. We are bringing resources. We have Victim Services specialists meeting with victims of the shooting last night. They are at the hospitals, meeting with victims. We have FBI special agents helping with leads investigations and processing the crime scene. We have evidence response teams. They are here on site as well, and they are taking pictures. They are looking at trajectories of bullets, and they are helping to collect the evidence that’s on scene.”
Special Agent Angie Key with the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said during the Sunday press conference: “We’re providing crime scene assistance, investigative assistance, support interviews we’ve had our intel folks step up and provide assistance with that as well. We’re continuing to help with this case, as far as assisting local, state, federal agencies.”
Scott Riley, district attorney for Burke Holwell and Catawba County, during the Sunday press conference: “I’d also like to offer my deepest condolences to the families of all the victims involved. They have all had their lives just drastically altered and changed forever by this senseless act of violence.”
Anderson Clayton, chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, wrote in an X, formerly Twitter, post on Sunday: “And yet republicans in our state legislature are trying to make permit-less carry legal in this state. The answer to gun violence being the #1 killer of young people in communities across our state is not to make it easier for young people to buy one.”
What Happens Next
The FBI is setting up a tips line for anyone who was at the party or witness to any related activity.
The investigation is ongoing, with law enforcement expected to continue providing press releases.
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