Asheville police seek tips after east Asheville shooting injures two

Asheville police are asking for tips after a daytime shooting outside Spruce Hill Apartments in east Asheville left two people injured, one with life-threatening wounds. Investigators say the suspect was on foot and fired at occupants of a vehicle at 201 Spruce Hill Ct. in the Haw Creek area.

Officers responded May 14 at about 11:40 a.m. to reports of gunfire and found two injured people inside the vehicle. Both were taken to Mission Hospital. One victim was treated and released, while the other remained in critical condition with life-threatening injuries.

Police said surveillance footage helped narrow the suspect description to a person wearing a pink hoodie and red pants. Detectives believe the suspect and the two victims know each other, and they say there is no threat to the public. Investigators spent hours collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses as they worked to piece together what led to the shooting.

The incident briefly rippled beyond the apartment complex and into a nearby school setting. Haw Creek Elementary was placed on a perimeter lockdown for about 10 minutes while officers responded, underscoring how quickly gunfire in a neighborhood can force schools and families to react.

Police are urging anyone with information to come forward. Asheville’s anonymous TIP2APD system is a two-way text and app tool for non-emergency tips. Residents can text TIP2APD to 847411 or use the app to share information with investigators.

Spruce Hill Apartments has seen serious violence before. In a separate shooting at the complex on Jan. 30, 2022, one man was killed and another wounded. Jalia Love Jones later pleaded guilty in February 2025 to voluntary manslaughter and assault in that case and received a sentence of more than eight years in prison.

For neighbors in Haw Creek, the immediate concern now is helping detectives identify the shooter and understand what happened before the shots were fired. The suspect description, the vehicle attack and the school lockdown have made the case a sharp reminder of how a single burst of gunfire can unsettle an entire east Asheville neighborhood.