Teen shot in the head in Raleigh, as shootings in the city double over last year

A young man was taken to the hospital with serious injuries Tuesday night after a shooting east of downtown, as gun violence spikes in Raleigh this year.

Officers found the juvenile with a gunshot wound to the head around 9:45 p.m. in the 1600 block of New Bern Avenue, police said in a news release.

Investigators told ABC11, The News & Observer’s newsgathering partner, that two men in an SUV may have shot the teenager while he stood outside of a convenience store.

A store clerk said the teen had bought cigarettes moments before the shooting, ABC11 reported.

As of Tuesday morning, 34 people had been shot this year in Raleigh — twice as many as were shot by the same day in 2021.

There have been 12 killings in the city, four more than during the same period last year, according to police data.

The increased gun violence comes as Raleigh considers a $2 million proposal to fund a gun violence interruption program, similar to Bull City United in Durham.

The proposed program — born out of a partnership between the Raleigh-Apex chapter of the NAACP and the Raleigh Police Department — would intervene in conflicts to negotiate ceasefires and provide at-risk individuals with job programs, housing and social services, The News & Observer reported.

The N&O has asked to speak with Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson about the gun violence this year.

Police ask anyone with information about Tuesday’s shooting to contact Raleigh CrimeStoppers at 919-834-HELP or raleighcrimestoppers.org for text and email reporting options. CrimeStoppers pays cash rewards for anonymous tips that help solve cases.

This story was originally published April 13, 2022 at 9:43 AM.