KILL DEVIL HILLS, N.C. (WAVY) — One person has been killed, another person has been injured and a suspect is in custody after a shooting in the parking lot of the Avalon Fishing Pier in Kill Devil Hills Thursday afternoon, Kill Devil Hills Assistant Chief of Police Dana Harris said.
Harris said they received a report of shots fired at the Avalon Fishing Pier at 2:37 p.m. and police responded in less than four minutes. He said one person died at the scene, and another person who was shot and injured was flown to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital.
He said a suspect is in custody and there is no threat to the public at this time. Harris said the suspect fled the scene prior to police arriving at the scene, but witnesses with descriptions of the suspect and his car, he said, helped in catching the suspect, who was stopped by Southern Shores Police, with multiple agencies helping.
He said he had not had to deal with anything like what happened in his 48 years in law enforcement across multiple jurisdictions.
“It’s bad to lose anybody from here or not from here, tourists or locals,” Harris said. “If any of you all have had a friend or someone killed, you’ll understand what these families are going through.”
Nearby tourists said they were shocked to see the scary scene too. One beachgoer said he was near the pier and heard the gunfire.
“The people at the pier and under the pier, as soon as I seen them running, scrambling, jumping off the pier, I was like, ‘That was a gun,'” Justin Smiley said. “I’m pretty sure it was five [shots]. It was back-to-back and constant, but I think it was five.”
As authorities continue to investigate, locals and tourists alike hope things can settle for everyone moving forward.
“This isn’t typical,” said tourist Lindsay Defelice, “and so I wouldn’t want people to be scared to come here or anything. It’s just a crazy situation.”
Said Smiley: “[It’s] something you don’t expect, something you wouldn’t want to expect, especially down here. You wouldn’t think that, but stuff happens.”
Harris said the shooting is still under investigation.
A source who works at the pier said a boy was shot in the parking lot of the Avalon Fishing Pier after a possible argument. A witness said the shooter drove around the parking lot, then shot the boy in the chest, and another person was shot also. It is not yet clear which one was killed and which one was injured.
The Avalon Fishing Pier is a popular spot on the Outer Banks, with both locals and tourists fishing there and accessing the beach.
Austin Ayers, a Republican congressional candidate, said his thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved.
“My thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in this incident unfolding in Kill Devil Hills right now,” Ayers said in a Facebook post. “I am being briefed on the situation. While information is very limited, please respect all first responders at the Avalon Pier. They are doing their job. If they request you leave the area, please do. Please remain vigilant as well, and report any suspicious activity to 911 immediately.”
Note: The above video includes a press conference with Kill Devil Hills Assistant Police Chief Dana Harris.