Asheville downtown shooting kills two, officials say it stems from retaliation, not gangs

Around 2:20 a.m. on July 19, Asheville officers arrived at the intersection of Biltmore Avenue and Short Coxe Avenue to find multiple shooting victims; two people died despite emergency care and seven were transported to Mission Hospital. Detectives recovered numerous shell casings and later determined the attack was a direct retaliation for a July 5 shooting at a local apartment complex, for which an arrest had already been made.

Interim Police Chief Jackie Stepp described the episode as the latest chapter in a pattern of retaliatory violence, but she stopped short of calling it gang-related, saying the two groups involved knew each other and had ongoing disputes. At a community briefing, Mayor Esther Manheimer acknowledged the city’s existing safety plan and expressed openness to additional prevention programs, while also citing North Carolina’s relaxed gun laws as a complicating factor.

Police continue to seek several persons of interest and have asked the public for tips via phone, an app, or text. The investigation remains active, with local, state and federal partners assisting.