A late-night house party in Catawba County, North Carolina, took a tragic and violent turn early Sunday, leaving one person dead and at least eleven others injured in a mass shooting that authorities are calling “extremely rare” for the region.
The Catawba County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the shooting occurred just after 12:45 a.m. at a home on Walnut Acres Drive, near Hickory, and that the home had previously drawn a noise complaint earlier in the evening. Authorities said over 80 shots were fired in what has now become one of the worst mass shootings in the county’s recent memory.
“We live in a great community, and this is something that’s extremely rare,” Catawba County Sheriff Don Brown told Queen City News.
The sole fatality was 58-year-old Shawn Patrick Hood of Lenoir, North Carolina. Hood was confirmed dead at the scene. The other eleven victims were rushed to local hospitals. As of Monday morning, seven remain hospitalized, with one listed in critical condition. The youngest known victim is reportedly 16 years old.
Authorities said the house party was attended by over 100 individuals, many believed to be high school-aged. The sheer number of people, coupled with the volume of gunfire and multiple suspects, has made the investigation particularly challenging.
“This is a complicated scene,” said Catawba County Sheriff’s Major Aaron Turk, acknowledging the difficulty in piecing together details with limited cooperation from partygoers and limited surveillance in the area.
Still, Sheriff Brown said investigators are committed to pursuing leads. “We are going to work together tirelessly and diligently to identify the individuals responsible for this act,” he added.
The Charlotte Observer reported that officers had been dispatched to the residence twice: once earlier in the evening following a noise complaint, and then again hours later when the shooting occurred.
Local residents expressed frustration that earlier intervention didn’t prevent the tragedy. “We need some more officers out here,” one person reportedly said in radio dispatches recorded shortly after the initial complaint.
As of Monday morning, no arrests have been made. Law enforcement is asking anyone with video footage or firsthand knowledge to come forward, as they believe more than one shooter was involved.
While motives remain unclear, the scale and nature of the violence have sent shockwaves through the community, raising broader questions about youth safety, event monitoring, and law enforcement resources in smaller counties.
This story is developing, and updates will follow as police work to apprehend those responsible.