ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW)
A 19-year-old male is in critical condition after a shooting on the Blue Ridge Parkway on Wednesday afternoon.
The shooting happened shortly after 2 p.m. not far from the North Carolina Arboretum, the National Park Service’s Leesa S. Brandon said.
No arrests have been made yet in the case.
A section of the Parkway was closed, from milepost 393.6 to 405, for a short time while authorities investigated.
Authorities believe the shooting was a targeted crime and there is no threat to the public.
John Crawford, 60, of Arden, was hiking in the area when he came off the trail to see crime scene tape and a firefighter stopping people from going forward.
“There were sedans close together on the left side of the road and police vehicles on either side with lights blinking,” Crawford said. “So I was not going to try to poke around.”
Crawford described the area off the road as wooded, with thick vegetation, so “whatever was happening was happening pretty much right here on the road.”
LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW WITH JOHN CRAWFORD HERE
The National Park Service Investigative Services branch is leading the investigation with support from Blue Ridge Parkway law enforcement rangers and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, Brandon said.
Brandon said no other details were available.