Police: Man dead, off-duty firefighter hurt in shooting outside Salisbury home

SALISBURY, N.C. — A man is dead and an off-duty firefighter was hurt in a shooting in Salisbury Thursday morning, police said.

Officers responded to a home just before 9 a.m. on Sunset Drive near Mooresville Road, where they found two men shot in the front yard.

Both men were taken to a local hospital, where one died. His identity has not been released.

The other victim was an off-duty Salisbury firefighter. His condition is unknown at this time.

Channel 9′s Ken Lemon was at the scene and saw what appears to be a gun on the ground, 26 crime scene markers, some shell casings and crime scene tape around a house.

“Continue to hear about the violence that’s happening in our community. It’s gut-wrenching and heartbreaking,” said former mayor Al Heggins.

Detectives have not said what led to the shooting, as this is an ongoing investigation.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Salisbury-Rowan Crime Stoppers at 866-639-5245.

This is the third shooting in a week in Salisbury.

“So when these deaths occur, it’s not just like, ‘Oh somebody else is dead.’ Oftentimes we knew each other,” Heggins said.

She is urging people to adapt the Cure Violence program, the same program recently adopted in Charlotte.

It’s touted as a proactive, non-police approach with community leaders working with people to find other options to resolve conflicts.

“So that we are beginning to train violence interrupters to help us go out here and head off the violence before it gets ahead,” she said.

It’s an option the city council will consider next week. They will hear from operators of the program in Greensboro.

Return to this story for updates.

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