74-year-old man charged with attempted murder in downtown Chapel Hill shooting
A man was shot in downtown Chapel Hill and a 74-year-old suspect is in custody after a sidewalk argument turned violent.
The shooting happened around 6:15 p.m. Thursday near the intersection of West Franklin and Graham streets, police said.
The 44-year-old man who was shot, whose name has not been released, was taken to UNC Hospitals with “non-life-threatening injuries,” police said in a news release.
The suspect, Geary Wayne Council of Chapel Hill is charged with:
- Attempted murder
- Assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill
- Damage to property
- Discharging firearm in the city
- Going armed to the terror of the public
Council was being held without bail at the Orange County jail and was expected to make his first court appearance Friday.
“I want to thank our officers and investigators for their quick response to this incident,” Police Chief Celisa Lehew said in the release. “We will continue to investigate and provide support to the victim and all who were impacted.”
Franklin Street, a hub for restaurants and other businesses, is a main thoroughfare in town, a short walk to the UNC campus.
This is the first shooting with a gunshot wound in Chapel Hill this year, town spokesperson Alex Carrasquillo said in response to The News & Observer’s follow-up questions Friday. In April, someone fired a gun, but no one was hurt, he said.
“It doesn’t appear that the men knew each other prior to the altercation,” Carrasquillo added in an email.
Officers arrived within four minutes and arrested Council, he wrote. The first officer was part of the Downtown Unit, an “around-the-clock” team whose members patrol mostly on foot or bike.
This story was originally published October 16, 2025 at 7:15 PM.