Todd Paris, Staff Writer and Salisbury Attorney/RFP Staff
♦ Salisbury NC, dateline January 22, 2017, 1:56 a.m. Dozens of pistol shots rang out tonight in a parking lot at 120 East Council St.
Salisbury Police Move Down the Street with Guns Drawn:
Location Parking Lot on the 100 Block of E. Council St., Salisbury, N.C.:
Roused by the sounds of what sounded like a riot, I stuck my head out of the window only to duck back in as a second fusillade of shots echoed up and down the street. While I lost count of the back and forth gunfire for a few instants, I thought I was Iraq or Afghanistan. Then I remembered I was in the 9th ranked most dangerous City North Carolina although I suspect we might be number one or two with Salisbury’s mushrooming stats.
What’s left of our Salisbury Police may need to invest in more of those little yellow flags with numbers on them. My guess is twenty plus rounds were discharged.
As I crossed Council Street, I could clearly smell gunpowder in the air. The parking lot was cordoned off to await Crime Scene Investigators. Officers from all over the county, including East Spencer, the Rowan County Sheriffs Office and Granite-Faith PD arrived in very quick order, many holding AR-15 rifles and shotguns at the ready.
Unofficial sources told me that two individuals were hit and have been transported to Novant Rowan Regional Medical Center by private vehicle. Reliable sources at Novant indicate two wounded individuals were admitted to the ER and police were all over Novant Rowan Regional Medical Center and had it on lockdown.
The only business open was “King Tut’s Café and Hookah Lounge” in the basement of Mayor Karen Alexander’s building “The Council Street Commons”. The operator said firefight happened in the parking lot. King Tut’s Café and Hookah Lounge quickly shut down for the night
There appeared to be a fifty or more angry young Black people on the 100 block of East Council. No one wanted to give a statement. The crime scene was properly secured and Crime Scene Investigators were on the way. Come daylight much more may be revealed and evidence is more easily spotted.
The wounded men were not identified at this time nor was their condition made available.
Local law enforcement departments who arrived to assist Salisbury Police’s overstretched and under-budgeted staff are much appreciated. It should be noted that these events occurred only a short distance from Police HQ and in sight of the Farmers and Merchant’s Building.
Photo Gallery of Crime Scene in Downtown Salisbury on the 100 block of E. Council:
Nearby Salisbury Police HQ Parking lot:
Citizens having any knowledge about this crime are urged to call the Salisbury Police at 704-638-5333. If you fear retribution, want to remain anonymous and possibly collect a reward of up to $1,000, information can be submitted 24/7 via the web: http://tips.salisburyrowancrimestoppers.org/ or by calling the Salisbury-Rowan Crime Stoppers at 1-866-639-5245.
**This article will be updated as more information arrives.**
