FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Salisbury Police Department
130 E. Liberty St.
Salisbury, NC 28144
(704) 638-5333
Lieutenant J Moreau
(704) 638-5367
SALISBURY POLICE IDENTIFY JUVENILE SUSPECT IN SHOOTING INVESTIGATION
SALISBURY, N.C. (August 14, 2026) — Detectives with the Salisbury Police Department have identified a juvenile suspect in connection with a July 30, 2026, shooting in which gunfire struck a passing vehicle and a nearby residence in the 700 block of South Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue.
On July 30, surveillance video captured a juvenile male in the parking lot of Friendly Food Mart, 727 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., firing a handgun in the direction of a passing vehicle. Investigators determined that the vehicle was struck twice by gunfire and a residence across the street was struck once. No one was injured during the incident.
During the investigation, detectives reviewed information from a previous Salisbury Police Department call for service in April 2026 in the same area. Body-worn camera footage from that incident showed a juvenile who investigators believed matched the individual captured in the July 30 surveillance video.
Investigators subsequently interviewed the 15-year-old juvenile with his guardian present. Salisbury Police later executed a search warrant at the juvenile’s home and recovered additional evidence related to the shooting. That evidence remains part of the ongoing investigation.
Investigators intend to seek a juvenile petition for charges related to the July 30 shooting. The suspect’s identity is being withheld due to his age. Detectives also investigated potential charges against the juvenile’s guardian related to school attendance. At this time, the parent has been charged with Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.
“I commend our officers and investigators for their work in identifying and locating the suspect involved in this case,” said Chief Smith. “It is deeply troubling to see a young person with access to a firearm use it with such reckless disregard for the safety of others. We are fortunate that no one was injured or killed.”
The investigation remains active. Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Salisbury Police Department at 704-638-5333.