Asheville shooting kills two, wounds seven in what police call a direct retaliatory act
A pre-dawn shooting near Biltmore Avenue in Asheville, North Carolina killed two people and wounded seven on July 19, with officers arriving at approximately 2:20 a.m. to find multiple victims near Short Coxe Avenue. Seven survivors were transported to Mission Hospital. Interim Police Chief Jackie Stepp confirmed days later that the attack was a direct retaliatory act tied to a July 5 shooting at an apartment complex, calling it the "latest chapter" in a continuing pattern of violence across the city.
Key takeaways
- A pre-dawn shooting near Biltmore Avenue in Asheville, North Carolina on July 19 killed two people and wounded seven, with officers arriving around 2:20 a.m.
- Interim Police Chief Jackie Stepp said the attack was a direct retaliatory act tied to a July 5 shooting at an apartment complex.
- By the July 24 briefing, investigators had identified several persons of interest but were still working to locate and interview them, and police had recovered a Glock switch.
- Stepp declined to label the violence gang-related, describing it as 'two groups of individuals' who knew each other carrying out ongoing retaliatory acts.
- Seven survivors were transported to Mission Hospital.
A pre-dawn shooting near Biltmore Avenue in Asheville, North Carolina killed two people and wounded seven on July 19, with officers arriving at approximately 2:20 a.m. to find multiple victims near Short Coxe Avenue. Seven survivors were transported to Mission Hospital. Interim Police Chief Jackie Stepp confirmed days later that the attack was a direct retaliatory act tied to a July 5 shooting at an apartment complex, calling it the "latest chapter" in a continuing pattern of violence across the city.
What the investigation has established
Detectives found numerous shell casings across what Stepp described as a large crime scene. The July 5 incident left one person wounded and produced one arrest. By the July 24 community briefing, Stepp said investigators had identified several persons of interest in the Biltmore Avenue case but were still working to locate and interview them. She also confirmed that police had recovered a Glock switch, though she did not say where it was found or connect it to any individual suspect.
The gang-label question
Stepp declined at the July 24 briefing to classify the violence as gang-related. Her framing: the attacks involved "two groups of individuals" who knew each other and had carried out "ongoing retaliatory acts" against one another. She later told ABC affiliate WLOS that gang activity exists in Asheville but maintained the recent shootings represent "not traditional gang activity."
At the same briefing, a local pastor who identified himself as a gang-prevention facilitator told Mayor Esther Manheimer he had offered the city a prevention program since 2016 and asked why it had not been considered. Manheimer said she had recently seen his email and wanted to learn more, pointing to Buncombe County's existing community safety and violence-prevention plan.
What to watch
The mayor cited North Carolina's loosening gun laws as a constraint on local action and noted that recent disputes often escalate after someone retrieves a weapon from a vehicle. APD said it is coordinating with local, state, and federal partners. The next confirmable step is locating and interviewing the persons of interest named in the July 19 investigation.
Anyone with information can call APD at 828-252-1110, submit a tip through the TIP2APD app, or text TIP2APD to 847411.
Filed by the newsroom of MarketPR on August 9, 2026. Source: foxnews.com. Indicative figures are not investment advice.