Witness Describes Terrifying Moments During Asheville Apartment Shooting

A witness is speaking out after a shooting Thursday afternoon at an Asheville apartment complex left two people injured and prompted a nearby school lockdown.

According to the Asheville Police Department, the shooting happened outside the Spruce Hill Apartments in the Haw Creek community. Officers say two victims suffering from gunshot wounds were later found inside a vehicle further up the road. Police continue searching for the suspect involved.

Kaidyn Featherstone, who lives near the scene, said he and his mother were inside their apartment when the gunfire erupted.

“I hear the gunshots. Then I heard my mom yell, ‘Did you hear that?!’” Featherstone recalled.

Featherstone said only a short distance separated his apartment from where the shots were fired.

“The first volley of shots was like four or five, the second was like six. Then I swear it moved over there and it was like four more shots,” he said.

After hearing the shots, Featherstone and his mother moved to the back porch before hearing even more gunfire.

“We went inside because once we heard them again, we didn't want a stray possibility at all,” Featherstone said.

He described the moments afterward as eerily quiet before emergency crews arrived on scene.

“Me and my mom thought we were tripping because when we heard the shots, the neighborhood was silent. Nobody was reacting to the shots,” he said.

Soon after, the sounds of sirens filled the neighborhood as police and emergency responders rushed to the apartment complex.

The incident also impacted nearby Haw Creek Elementary School, which was placed on a brief perimeter lockdown for about 10 minutes while officers responded to the area, according to Buncombe County Schools spokesperson Ken Ulmer.

Parent Chenoa Shannon said she received alerts from the school notifying families about the incident and assuring parents students were safe.

“It does worry me since it was so close,” Shannon said.

Police have not yet released information about a suspect or what may have led to the shooting. The investigation remains ongoing.