‘80 shots fired’ during mass shooting at party outside Hickory killing 1, injuring 11

Authorities are investigating a mass shooting that happened Sunday morning during a house party near Hickory, where more than 80 shots were fired, killing one person and injuring 11 others.

Officers responded to reported gunshots about 12:45 a.m. Sunday at a party at a house on Walnut Acres Drive in southwest Catawba County’s Mountain View community, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office said.

Police identified the deceased as 58-year-old Shawn Patrick Hood of Lenoir. Officials have not released the names of the others, but the youngest person injured was 16. One critically wounded person was transported to a Charlotte hospital, while others were taken to local medical facilities, Catawba County Sheriff’s Major Aaron Turk told reporters at a press conference Sunday evening.

Catawba County Sheriff Don Brown called the shooting “a senseless act of violence.”

No arrests have been made as of Sunday’s press conference, officials said as they implored witnesses to come forward to help with the investigation.

“This is a complicated scene,” Turk said.

The sheriff’s office said some of the 11 injured were shot and others were hurt fleeing. The FBI on Monday announced a $15,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and successful prosecution of whoever did it.

Law enforcement seeks more information

Authorities first responded to the Walnut Acres neighborhood — a subdivision about 55 miles northwest of Charlotte — about 11 p.m. Saturday for a noise complaint over loud music, Turk said. Police left the scene after the music was turned down.

But law enforcement were called back to the scene, this time due to reported gunshots, less than two hours later.

The scope of the violence quickly became apparent, law enforcement audio shows.

The first dispatch call, about 12:40 a.m., reported at least one person shot, “possibly more.”

Minutes later, someone requests more emergency medical personnel. The number of people with gunshot wounds jumps to at least four, and someone reports people fleeing the scene on foot.

“We need some more officers out here,” someone says about 12 minutes after the initial dispatch.

Responding agencies included the county sheriff’s office, Hickory Police, North Carolina Highway Patrol, the State Bureau of Investigation, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Turk said at Sunday’s press conference.

Walnut Acres Drive remained closed to everyone but residents as of Sunday evening, as law enforcement continued to work the scene. The total crime scene encompasses about two acres of land indoors and outdoors, Turk said.

Turk told reporters multiple weapons were used but didn’t provide details. Law enforcement said they haven’t determined a motive for the violence or found “a direct tie” between the shooting and the earlier noise complaint.

Authorities interviewed about 70 people Sunday and are looking for more witnesses to talk to, Turk said.

“It has been difficult to find those people and and to encourage people that might not have the inclination to be truthful to otherwise help us out in this investigation,” he said.

Were teens involved in Catawba County shooting?

Observer news partner WSOC reported more than 100 people were at the party, many of them high school-age teenagers.

Turk told reporters Sunday a “mix” of age groups were at the party, including people in their teens and early 20s. Catawba County Sheriff Don Brown told reporters law enforcement is still looking into the reason for the gathering.

The home where the incident took place happened in the community assigned to the Fred T. Foard High School attendance area, Catawba County Schools spokeswoman Kim Jordan told the Observer, adding “we have no information at this time whether any of our students attended the event or were involved.”

Newton-Conover City Schools spokesperson John Robinson told the Observer as of Monday morning the district has “no information that any of our students were involved.”

A spokesperson for the county’s other, public school district, Hickory City Schools, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether any of its students were involved.

Leaders offer condolences, support

Some public officials took to social media Sunday to address the shooting, including Gov. Josh Stein, who shared he and his wife Anna were “heartbroken.”

Congressman Pat Harrigan, whose district includes parts of Catawba, also shared on X he has been in contact with local authorities on scene.

Catawba County District Attorney Scott Reilly told reporters at Sunday’s press conference the shooting will have a lasting impact on his community.

“They have all had their lives just drastically altered and changed forever by this senseless act of violence,” he said of the injured, their families and residents of the Walnut Creek neighborhood.

Brown, the county sheriff, said it’s “frustrating” to see such an “extremely rare” act of violence in his community.

“What bothers me the most is when we can’t prevent something like this, and all we can do is find the people responsible and hold them accountable,” he said.

Catawba County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone hasn’t been contacted by law enforcement who attended this party or knows someone who attended to please contact the office at 828-464-3112.

Please upload any videos or photos related to this incident to http://www.fbi.gov/catawbacountyshooting.

The FBI will launch an online tipline at fbi.gov, and anyone with information is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

This story was originally published June 1, 2025 at 8:20 AM with the headline "‘80 shots fired’ during mass shooting at party outside Hickory killing 1, injuring 11."