The number of shooting incidents in Asheville is up compared to this time last year, according to the latest figures from the city police department.
So far, the Asheville Police Deparment says officers have responded to 557 reports of a firearm being discharged, compared to 469 last year -- an increase of 16 percent.
There have been 40 shooting victims in 2020 and of those, nine were homicides, APD spokperson Christina Hallingse said. November has been a particularly active month. On Nov. 6, there was a shooting in West Asheville at two separate location, on Granada St. and on Dearview Rd. Shootings were reported at those same locations less than a week later, on the Nov. 11 and 14. One of those incidents resulted in a 31-year-old man being transported to the hospital with multiple gunshot wounds, according to a statement from police.
Hallingse says those incidents are under investigation, but did not comment on whether they were related. The APD is asking anyone with information about these incidents or the identity of the suspects to contact the department.