Man charged in east Asheville apartment shooting appears in court

Neighbors at Spruce Hill Apartments still do not have an answer for why shots were fired at a vehicle in broad daylight, but the case against Acesa Ezekiel Jackson moved ahead quickly in Buncombe County court. Jackson, 24, was in the Buncombe County Courthouse on May 18 after his May 15 arrest in the east Asheville apartment shooting that injured two people. Multiple felony charges were read in court, along with the possible penalties, and Jackson was ordered held in the Buncombe County Detention Center with no bond.

The shooting unfolded around 11:40 a.m. on May 14 in Haw Creek, where Asheville police said officers found two victims inside a vehicle at Spruce Hill Apartments. Officers gave life-saving aid before EMS arrived and took both victims to Mission Hospital. One victim was treated and released, while the other remained in critical condition with life-threatening injuries.

Police first asked the public to help identify the suspect, including a description of the clothing he was said to be wearing, a pink hooded sweatshirt and red pants. Detectives later followed leads to an east Asheville residence tied to the case, and investigators said evidence recovered there helped lead to Jackson's arrest. The case pulled together Asheville police, the Buncombe County Sheriff's Office and the courthouse system as officers worked through a shooting that unfolded in a densely populated apartment complex.

Jackson's next court date is set for June 5. For people living around Spruce Hill and nearby east Asheville neighborhoods, that hearing will be the next step in a case that has already raised safety concerns at the complex and renewed attention on gun violence in Asheville, as city leaders have said the police department is working with federal, state and local partners and increasing police presence in affected areas.