Police search for man after gunfire in west Raleigh apartment complex

Police were still searching Tuesday for a man who fired several shots into the air near a west Raleigh apartment complex after a domestic dispute turned violent before dawn. Officers were called to the area near St. Giles Street after the argument between a man and a woman escalated, and the suspect drove away before police arrived.

The scene left a large section of the parking lot taped off, with more than a dozen evidence markers spread across the pavement for what investigators believed could be shell casings. Police said no people or apartment units appeared to have been hit, but they were still checking whether any vehicles were damaged. Charges were pending.

For residents of the complex and nearby apartments, the immediate aftermath was a familiar kind of disruption: flashing lights, blocked parking spaces and unanswered questions about whether the man would be found. The gunfire also widened the risk beyond the couple involved. Shots fired into the air in a dense apartment area can put neighbors, passersby and people in parked cars in danger even when no one is struck.

The incident came just after 1 a.m., according to WRAL’s Breaking News Tracker, and it added to concern around the St. Giles Street corridor in west Raleigh. On June 19, a separate shooting in the 6100 block of St. Giles Street left one person hospitalized and later led to a murder charge against a 16-year-old in the death of 15-year-old Khandyn Jones.

The Raleigh Police Department says its Family Violence Intervention Unit handles domestic and family-related cases with one sergeant, one victim advocate, two crisis counselors, two officers and four detectives. The department also says its Firearm Violence Reduction Strategy dates to 2018.

City of Raleigh domestic violence resources describe domestic violence as a significant concern and point to victim-support and family-support services. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women says firearms significantly increase the risk of death or serious injury for victims of domestic or dating violence, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention describes intimate partner violence as a significant public health issue.