FBI calls for photos, videos from party as details emerge in deadly Catawba County mass shooting ...Middle East

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- The FBI is now actively assisting local law enforcement in the investigation of a mass shooting that erupted at a house party in the Mountain View community over the weekend, leaving one man dead and 11 others injured.

Authorities are now asking the public for their help.

"The FBI is assisting the Catawba County Sheriff's Office with a mass shooting on Walnut Acres Drive. Special Agents & the Evidence Response Team responded. There are 12 victims, one died. If you have video or photos from the party, upload them here," said the FBI Charlotte.

The bureau has set up a secure upload link for digital evidence, hoping it could be the key to identifying the shooters.

The violence happened just after midnight at a home on Walnut Acres Drive, where more than 80 shots were fired. According to the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, deputies initially responded to a noise complaint around 11 p.m. and spoke with several people at the home.

They left shortly after, but within two hours, chaos erupted. 911 calls began flooding in around 12:45 a.m. Sunday, reporting shots fired and people wounded.

When the gunfire stopped, 12 people had been injured. Seven remain hospitalized, including one person in critical condition. The ages of the victims span from 16 to 58 years old.

The only confirmed fatality at this time is 58-year-old Shawn Patrick Hood, of Lenoir. Officials have not released further details about his connection to the party.

Law enforcement has interviewed more than 70 people. Investigators said multiple weapons were used, and they believe more than one shooter was involved.

“This is not a common act or an incident that occurs here in Catawba County,” said Catawba Co. Sheriff Don Brown. “We live in a great community, and this is something that’s extremely rare.”

While details remain limited, reports suggest the party may have been attended by more than 100 people, many of them believed to be high school-aged. Queen City News reached out to Catawba County Schools for comment, and officials confirmed the address is within the Fred T. Foard High School attendance zone. However, the district said it has no confirmed information about whether current students were involved.

Both the FBI and agents from the State Bureau of Investigation are working with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office and the Hickory Police Department on this case.

This is a Developing Story. Check back for updates

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