Early Saturday morning, shortly after midnight, a shooting at a private house party in Wilmington, North Carolina killed three and injured at least four. It’s still unclear who opened fire, or why.
According to the Wilmington Police Department, the shooting took place at 718 Kidder St. during a house party. Three were killed and four are now at the New Hanover Regional Medical Center.
Wilmington Police Chief Donny Williams says while no suspects or motive have yet been identified, police do not believe the public is in danger. Williams has not yet convened a press conference to address the shooting; WPD says one will be announced once detectives have more information to share.
WPD says it is “working around the clock,” adding that due to the number of victims and the circumstances of the shooting, it will be some time before the investigation is complete.
Police are also investigating a Friday afternoon shooting which took place several blocks away and sent two to the hospital. According to WPD, officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert around 4:10 p.m. at 6th and Meares.
It’s not known if the two shootings are related.
WPD has released the names of those who were killed or injured, except for one minor, who was among the dead.
Deceased:
- Zieyah Wade, 22 (M)
- Shamir Jones, 21 (M)
- Juvenile, 16 (F) (name withheld due to age)
Injured:
- Zykeria Crawford, 19 (F)
- Zymiryon Atkins, 18 (M)
- Valery Orelus, 18 (F)
- Keyshawn James, 21 (M)
The department continues to offer condolences for the families affected, and asks anyone with information to reach out.
Anonymous contact methods:
- Wilmington NC PD smartphone app (Search "Wilmington NC PD" in Google or iTunes app stores)
- Text-a-tip -- Text 847411 (tip411) and include the keyword "WPDNC"