STATESVILLE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A 19-year-old high school student was shot and killed in Statesville Wednesday night in what a family member called an “ambush.”
Statesville Police said the shooting happened around 10 p.m. at a home on Goldsboro Avenue. Officers arrived at the home and found two victims suffering from gunshot wounds.
A 19-year-old was pronounced dead on the scene. The second victim, a 15-year-old boy, was taken to the hospital and is in critical condition.
A family member identified the 19-year-old victim as Zion Wilder, a student at Statesville High School who was set to graduate in May.
The family said the 15-year-old boy was Wilder’s cousin.
According to the family, she had just finished making dinner when a group pulled up and started firing in an “ambush.”
A Queen City News crew said numerous bullet holes could be seen in the home’s TV and throughout the house.
Other people were reportedly at the home when the shooting happened, including children.
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Following the shooting, Northview Academy announced it was closing on Thursday.
A statement from the school said the decision to close was made out of “safety precautions for our students and staff.”
All buses will be sent back home, school officials said. The administration said it will ensure all students are safely dropped off at their homes.
Statesville Police said the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police at 704-878-3406 or 704-878-3516.
