ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Has Asheville gun violence increased in recent weeks? Following a string of shootings in the Asheville area, 828newsNOW looks back at a timeline of gun-related incidents in 2026.

Sunday, Jan. 4

Asheville police investigated reports on gunfire around Banks Avenue in the South Slope district of downtown Asheville. Officers discovered seven shell casings near the intersection of Banks Avenue and Church Street, but no property damage or injuries were reported.

Read the story: Sunday gunfire in downtown Asheville remains under investigation

Monday, Jan. 26

Kevin Mitchell Hyatt, 45, was arrested after shooting a woman in the shoulder near the 800 block of Fairview Road.

Read the story: UPDATE: Asheville shooting suspect arrested

Thursday, Jan. 29

One person was shot in the neck and arm after a verbal dispute at Malcolm Court in Enka. Police reported that the victim and the shooter had both drawn pistols during the conflict.

Read the story: 1 seriously injured in West Asheville shooting, police say

Saturday, March 7

Eric Lee Anderson Lordman Jr., 27, was killed on Granada Street in West Asheville after being shot multiple times. Asheville police said Lordman’s death was the first Asheville homicide of 2026.

Read the story: Man found shot to death in Asheville early Saturday

Sunday, March 8

Nine people are injured in a shooting near the 100 block of North Lexington Avenue in downtown Asheville. Police said seven individuals were struck by stray gunfire or fragments during the incident, one person was injured while attempting to reach safety and another suffered a concussion after being physically assaulted during the disturbance.

On Monday, March 16, just over a week after the shooting, 19-year-old Calobe Leo Workman turned himself into police custody and was charged with a felony.

Later that week, on Friday, March 20, 28-year-old Ashonta Foursha Basnight turned herself into police custody and was arrested on several felony assault charges.

On Wednesday, March 25, Asheville police released images of a third suspect.

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Also on Sunday, Angel Blanding, who was in the custody of the Asheville Police Department, obtained a firearm from a rack on a police vehicle at the Buncombe County Detention Facility, fired a shot and damaged two police vehicles. No one was injured during the incident.

Read the story: No injuries after shot fired at Buncombe County Detention Facility

Monday, March 9

William Wyatt Adair, 20, is shot and killed on Patton Avenue near New Leicester Highway. Before police could arrest the suspected shooter, a juvenile, he 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 later succumbed to his wounds.

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The violence continued later that night when shots were fired at a West Asheville apartment complex on Granada Street, where Lordman was found dead two days earlier. Police recovered 24 shell casings and said two vehicles were struck by gunfire, but no one was injured. The suspect fled the scene. Later, Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer and Interim APD Chief Jackie Stepp addressed the trend of gun violence in a joint statement.

Read the story: Violent stretch continues with gunfire at West Asheville apartments

Saturday, March 14

Michael Adarius Cornett, 37, was arrested after firing a gun into an occupied vehicle around the 700 block of Fairview Road. The victim was unharmed. A search of Cornett’s Weaverville residence led to the seizure of six firearms.

Read the story: Asheville man arrested for shooting into occupied vehicle

Tuesday, April 21

An Asheville police officer was injured and a suspect was killed during an officer-involved shooting at a business in the 1900 block of Hendersonville Road. When officers approached the entrance, the suspect, a man named James Jones, fired through a glass door, and officers returned fire, striking him. Jones died at a hospital on April 22. In June 2026, Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams ruled that the officers involved in the shootout were justified in their use of deadly force.

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Thursday, May 14

In mid-May, two people were shot sitting inside their vehicle at Spruce Hill Apartments in Haw Creek. One of the victims was shot in the head and the other in the abdomen. Both were taken to Mission Hospital for treatment. The suspected shooter, 24-year-old Acesa Ezekiel Jackson, was arrested that Friday, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Task Force.

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Friday, June 5

APD officers responded to an afternoon report of gunfire on Klondyke Avenue in the Montford neighborhood. However, officers did not find any gun casings or property damage.

Later, APD officers investigated a gunfire report near the intersection of Congress Street and Choctaw Street south of downtown Asheville. Investigators and forensic technicians recovered four shell casings and discovered damage at one nearby residence.

Saturday, June 6

APD officers responded to multiple gunfire reports early that Saturday around the Flint Street area. Officers discovered 17 shell casings and two vehicles damaged by gunfire, but the suspect was no longer at the scene. Shortly afterward, APD officers found a vehicle on Riverside Drive that matched a description given by witnesses. When officers approached, the driver exited the vehicle and escaped down a path, but two firearms were recovered afterward: one on the path and the other inside the vehicle.

The Friday and Saturday incidents were deemed unrelated by Asheville police.

Read the story: Asheville police investigating three unrelated weekend gunfire incidents

Sunday, June 7

A man wielding a knife was shot by APD officers during a confrontation at the Westmont Commons apartment complex on Chamberlain Drive in West Asheville. APD received several reports about the man, who they found on a third-floor balcony, where he threw a chair and other items to the ground, before he descended the stairs with the knife. Officers ordered him to drop the weapon, but he ran toward officers while brandishing the knife, after which he was shot. No officers were injured during the incident, and the man was taken to Mission Hospital for treatment.

Read the story: Asheville police shoot knife-wielding man at Westmont Commons apartment complex

Wednesday, June 10

Alexander Sherman McKenzie was arrested on attempted murder charges and more after an alleged road rage incident on I-40 near Exit 59 at Patton Cove Road. A driver reported another motorist for firing multiple rounds into his vehicle while both were driving on the interstate. No injuries were reported. McKenzie was taken into custody nearly a week later on Tuesday, June 16, on Tunnel Road.

Read the story: Man charged with attempted murder after I-40 road-rage shooting

Wednesday, July 1

A 15-year-old Asheville boy was shot at the Cook Out fast food restaurant at 2546 Chimney Rock Road in Hendersonville. The teen left the scene before officers arrived, but was later taken for treatment at Mission Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.

Read the story: Asheville teen shot in Hendersonville fast-food parking lot

Sunday, July 5

Asheville police discovered a crime scene at Maple Crest Apartments at Lee Walker Heights after a vehicle was spotted speeding to Mission Hospital with disregard to traffic signals. A passenger of the vehicle was suffering from a gunshot wound to the shoulder and was treated at the hospital. At the apartment complex, officers found two damaged vehicles and shell casings.

Read the story: Asheville shooting left one injured, multiple vehicles damaged

Tuesday, July 7

APD officers investigated a gunshot wound report at the 100 block of Atkinson Street at Hillcrest Apartments, located near the River Arts District, where they found a male juvenile suffering from a gunshot to the back of the leg. The boy was taken to Mission Hospital, where he reported to be in stable condition.

Read the story: Male juvenile wounded in Asheville apartment complex shooting

Wednesday, July 15

Arturo Castillo Palomar, a Saluda man, was shot and killed by Asheville police in a firefight outside of Shakeys, a downtown Asheville bar, after he was discovered firing a weapon in the parking lot. The Asheville Fire Department responded and pronounced the suspect dead at the scene. No officers were injured. Shakeys staff said the man had been asked to leave the business earlier in the evening because of concerning behavior, and returned to the bar with a gun later that night. Staff immediately ushered patrons inside and secured the building before officers arrived.

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Sunday, July 19

Two people were killed and seven others injured in a Biltmore Avenue shooting near Dalton Distillery early that Sunday morning. Witnesses described the attack as a drive-by shooting. The crime scene stretched along Biltmore Avenue near Short Coxe Avenue and included Short Coxe Avenue to Southside Avenue. Several vehicles were damaged during the assault. In a press conference on Friday, July 24, Asheville police said the shooting was a retaliatory attack tied to the nearby shooting on July 5. The shooting was described as the latest episode in an ongoing pattern of violence between two groups.

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Friday, July 24

APD named Elijah William Poore, 18, as the primary suspect in an Asheville shooting that left a male teenager with a gunshot wound. The teen was robbed and shot at a different location before driving himself to the 100 block of South French Broad Avenue, where he was picked up and taken to Mission Hospital for treatment of a non-life-threatening injury. Officers attempted to locate Poore at an Erskine Avenue residence after the shooting, but he had not been found, as of July 25.

Read the story: Teenager robbed and wounded in Friday night Asheville shooting

Conclusions

Police are still investigating the pattern of violence that spread across the city this July. Besides the July 5 and July 19 shootings, no other cases have been openly connected by the police so far. Following the recent uptick in gun violence, Asheville police said they are coordinating with community partners and increasing safety measures around anticipated public gatherings.