Asheville motel gunfire call leads to sleeping suspect’s arrest

A late-night gunfire call at a West Asheville motel ended with Asheville police finding the suspect asleep in a nearby car, turning a chaotic scene on Patton Avenue into a quick arrest.

Officers responded shortly after midnight Saturday to a motel in the 1400 block of Patton Avenue after reports of shots fired. By the time police arrived, the shooter had already left. Investigators said they found two shell casings at the scene, but no one was injured and there was no reported property damage.

Police say the information gathered at the motel pointed them to a nearby parking lot, where they found a car matching the suspect and vehicle description. Inside, a man was asleep in the driver’s seat. Officers identified him as 37-year-old Carl Christopher Martin.

Police said Martin was armed when they detained him, raising the case from a gunfire complaint to a firearms arrest with multiple charges. He was charged with carrying a concealed gun, going armed to the terror of people, discharging a firearm in city limits and second-degree trespassing.

Martin was booked into the Buncombe County Detention Facility on a $1,500 secured bond. The arrest leaves the case to move through the local court system after what police described as a brief but serious public-safety scare along one of West Asheville’s busiest corridors.

Anyone with information can still contact the Asheville Police Department or submit an anonymous tip.