Asheville Shooting Kills 2 and Injures 7, Linked to Prior Gun Violence

Q: Police link the downtown mass shooting to a prior incident. Who were the targets and will justice prevent further retaliation?

Police have not publicly identified the intended targets, and there is no evidence yet that justice has been achieved in a way that can prevent retaliation. What investigators have said is narrower: Interim Chief Jackie Stepp said the downtown shooting was “not a random act of violence” and may be connected to an earlier gun-violence incident. That indicates the attack was likely targeted rather than indiscriminate, but authorities have not released the names, affiliations, or roles of the two people killed and seven wounded, nor have they said whether the dead, the injured, or another group at the scene were the specific targets. The shooting happened around 2:20 a.m. in the Smile Starters parking lot next to Dalton Distillery on Biltmore Avenue, an area where crowds gather after bars close. Witness accounts described gunfire striking vehicles, and police recovered numerous shell casings across a large crime scene. Suspects were still unaccounted for as of the latest police update. Whether justice will stop further retaliation depends on arrests, charges, and whether investigators can interrupt whatever dispute may have led to the attack. Right now, that remains uncertain. Police say they are working to identify and apprehend those responsible, and that is the clearest immediate step toward reducing the risk of another retaliatory shooting. But until suspects are in custody and the motive is clearer, any claim that retaliation has been prevented would be premature.

3 articles · Updated · WLOS · Jul 19

Police found nine gunshot victims on Biltmore Avenue around 2:20 a.m. Sunday; two died at the scene and seven were taken to Mission Hospital.
Five of the injured are in stable condition, while two need additional medical care, according to Asheville police interim chief Jackie Stepp.
Investigators collected numerous shell casings across what police called a large crime scene and said early evidence suggests the shooting was tied to an earlier gun violence incident, not a random attack.
Biltmore Avenue and nearby Short Coxe Avenue were temporarily closed during the investigation and have since reopened as police seek tips to identify those responsible.