Asheville, North Carolina shooting leaves two dead, multiple injured

Early Sunday morning, two separate shootings erupted in downtown Asheville, North Carolina. The first incident occurred around 2:20 a.m. on Biltmore Avenue, where police found several victims and two people died at the scene while seven others were treated for gunshot wounds. Roughly an hour later, around 3:13 a.m., officers responded to a second shooting on North Lexington Avenue, where nine people were affected, including injuries from stray bullets and a concussion sustained during the chaos.

Police have not yet arrested any suspects. A person of interest has been identified in connection with the second shooting, but authorities say the individuals responsible remain at large. Asheville Interim Police Chief Jackie Stepp suggested the attack was likely retaliatory rather than random, noting the location – a parking lot near a popular bar that had just closed – fits a pattern of post‑closing violence. The investigation continues, with detectives collecting ballistic evidence and interviewing witnesses.

The shootings prompted temporary road closures on both avenues as investigators processed the scenes.