Authorities report that a man has died following a shooting early Tuesday morning on Patton Avenue in Asheville.
The Asheville Police Department said officers responded around 1:04 a.m. on March 9 to a report of a gunshot victim near New Leicester Highway. Upon arrival, they found the victim, 20-year-old William Wyatt Adair, deceased. Police confirmed that next of kin have been notified.
Officials said patrol officers located a suspect nearby. Before the individual could be taken into custody, the suspect fired a self-inflicted gunshot, leaving him in critical condition at Mission Hospital. The suspect has not been publicly identified.
This incident marks the second homicide in Asheville so far this year. Two days earlier, police found 27-year-old Eric Lee Anderson Lordman Jr. dead from multiple gunshot wounds in East West Asheville. Police indicate that the two cases, as well as a separate non-fatal shooting downtown on March 8, are unlikely to be connected.
Investigators, including detectives and forensic teams, continue to examine the scene and collect evidence. Authorities are asking anyone with information about the March 9 shooting to contact APD.
💬 As the city reels from these incidents, community members are asking: what steps can be taken to prevent gun violence and keep Asheville neighborhoods safe?
