Community Calls for Action After Seventh Homicide in Asheville This Year

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Local Activism Following a Lethal Shooting

Early Friday morning of July 26th, 2024, Asheville police began investigating yet another murder in the city. A man was found dead from a suspected gunshot wound at the Hillcrest Apartments on Atkinson Street. Officers arriving at the scene discovered 31-year-old Denzel McKnight who was later declared dead at Mission Hospital. The late McKnight’s friends and loved ones now flood his Facebook profile with heart-wrenching tributes and farewell messages.

Longstanding community activist, Dee Williams, expressed concern over the continued murders of young black men in Asheville. Following an impromptu gathering at the murder scene, Detective Sgt. Cecil Wade of the Asheville Police Department (APD) reported the discovery of seven shell casings. He affirmed that investigators suspect these casings originated from a 9-mm handgun, but they are currently awaiting ballistics confirmation.

Violent Crime Remains a Pressing Issue in Asheville

Though Federal Bureau of Investigation data points to a decrease in violent crime nationwide, the issue remains distressingly prevalent in Asheville. Pastor John Grant of the Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church joined the conversation after presiding over the funeral of another young man claimed by violence in the city just over a week past. He implored local black community leaders and Asheville authorities to convene a forum for devising targeted strategies to tackle the recurring homicides.

Facing Accountability and Demanding Action

Community activist Williams conveyed a message of accountability for Asheville’s African-American community and leadership. She argued that the continuous talk about resolving the issue, without any concrete actions or solutions, inadvertently perpetuates these horrors.

A Hillcrest community member, speaking anonymously for his safety, voiced similar sentiments, lamenting the rampant gun violence claiming the lives of black men and bemoaning the fact that he had known McKnight for his entire life.

The Seventh Homicide of the Year; The Perpetrator Remains At Large

Asheville chalked up its seventh homicide of 2024 with McKnight’s murder, according to the police. This is not the first shooting McKnight experienced. In 2015, he was shot in the face during an argument in Biltmore Village. Five years later, the bullets that found him in Hillcrest claimed his life.

Asheville police are urgently appealing for more witnesses to come forward with any information that could help identify the killer still roaming free. They are encouraging anyone with knowledge about this incident to send tips, either anonymously by texting TIP2APD to 847411, using the TIP2APD smartphone application (search “Asheville PD” in an app store), or by directly calling the Asheville Police at 828-252-1110.