ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Police are investigating a fatal shooting early Monday that marked the third shooting incident in Asheville in as many days.
Officers with the Asheville Police Department responded around 1:04 a.m. Monday to a report of a gunshot victim on Patton Avenue near New Leicester Highway. When officers arrived, they found a man who had been fatally shot.
Police identified the victim as William Wyatt Adair, 20, who died at the scene. Authorities said his next of kin has been notified.
According to police, officers quickly located a suspect nearby on New Leicester Highway. Before officers could take him into custody, the suspect produced a handgun and shot himself in the head. The gunshot wound was not immediately fatal, and the suspect was transported to Mission Hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Police said the suspect has not yet been identified.
Detectives and forensic technicians are continuing to investigate the incident and follow up on leads.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Asheville Police Department at 828-252-1110. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by texting TIP2APD to 847411 or through the TIP2APD smartphone application.
The shooting is the city’s second homicide of 2026 and follows two other shooting incidents over the weekend.
Early Sunday morning, several people were injured in a shooting in the 100 block of North Lexington Avenue downtown. Officers responded around 3:15 a.m. and found multiple people outside suffering from gunshot wounds. Police said the injuries were not considered life-threatening.
On Saturday, officers responded around 12:20 a.m. to a report of a gunshot victim near Granada Street, where they found a man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police have not said whether any of the incidents are connected.