Research notes on the deadliest mass shootings in North Carolina history, expanded from this Facebook posting on September 28, 2025. These notes are still undergoing review and revisions.
Supplement to Mike Legeros deadliest disaster database.
Abbreviations: SP (Single Perpetrator) MP (Multiple Perpetrators)
|
Type |
Incident |
Date / Location |
Killed |
Wounded |
Total Casualties |
Source |
|
SP |
Carthage Nursing Home Shooting |
March 29, 2009, Carthage, NC |
8 |
3 (including perpetrator) |
11 |
Wikipedia “Carthage nursing home shooting” |
|
SP |
1906 Asheville Shooting, business district |
November 13, 1906, Asheville, NC |
5 |
12 |
17 |
Wikipedia “1906 Asheville shooting” |
|
SP |
East Raleigh / Hedingham Shooting |
October 13, 2022, Raleigh, NC |
5 |
3 (including perpetrator) |
8 |
Legeros “Historical Perspective on Mass Shootings in Raleigh”, web |
|
SP |
North Hills Sniper |
May 29, 1972, Raleigh, NC |
4 (including perpetrator) |
8 |
12 |
Legeros “Sniper Attacks North Hills Mall”, web |
|
SP |
Old Salisbury Road Shooting |
July 17, 1988, Winston‑Salem, NC |
4 |
6 (including perpetrator) |
10 |
Wikipedia “Old Salisbury Road shooting” |
|
SP |
Luigi’s Restaurant Shooting |
August 6, 1993, Fayetteville, NC |
4 |
7 (or 8 in some accounts) |
11 |
Wikipedia “Luigi’s Restaurant shooting |
| SP? | Wilmington, Kidder Street, House Party | April 3, 2021, Wilmington, NC | 3 | 4 | 7 | |
|
SP |
Southport Waterfront / American Fish Company Shooting |
September 27, 2025, Southport, NC |
3 |
5 |
8 |
Wikipedia “2025 Southport shooting” |
|
SP |
Shelby Bookstore Murders |
January 17, 1987, Shelby, NC |
3 |
2 |
5 |
Wikipedia “Shelby bookstore murders |
|
SP |
UNC Charlotte Classroom Shooting |
April 30, 2019, Charlotte, NC |
2 |
4 |
6 |
Wikipedia “2019 University of North Carolina at Charlotte shooting” |
|
MP |
Wilmington Insurrection |
November 10, 1898, Wilmington, NC |
14 to 300 |
|
|
Wikipedia “Wilmington massacre” |
|
MP |
Greensboro Massacre, protest march |
November 3, 1979, Greensboro, NC |
5 |
12 |
17 |
Wikipedia “Greensboro massacre” |
| MP | Charlotte Juneteenth Shooting, block party | June 22, 2020, Charlotte, NC | 4 | 10 | 14 | Various |
Exclusions
Excluded incident types include:
- Barricaded subjects, such as the five people injured in Gastonia on November 7, 1948. Source: Gaston Gazette, 11/8/48.
- Occurred during wartime, such as the Shelton Laurel massacre in 1863 in Madison County during the Civil War
Other Notable Mass Shootings, with Fewer Fatalities
- Fort Bragg, October 27, 1995 – 1 killed, 20 injured after sniper opened fire at 6:30 a.m. on some 1,300 soldiers on a football field preparing for a morning run. Source: Charlotte Observer, 10/28/95.
- Catawba County, June 1, 2025 – 1 killed, 11 injured. House party. Multiple perpetrators, from news reports.
Other Mass Shootings, Selected Citations
- Goldsboro, June 24?, 1973 – Seymour-Johnson AFB hospital – 2 killed, 3 injured. Source: Gaston Gazette, 6/25/73
- Research Triangle Park, August 30, 1983 – IBM – One killed, four injured
- Chapel Hill, 1995 – Downtown – 2 killed, 1 injured
- Greenville, June 21, 2013 – Wal-Mart – Three men shot in parking lot, fourth man shot in parking lot of law firm across the street. No fatalities.
- Mecklenburg County, MS-13 gang shooting, April 13, 2003 – 1 killed, 3 injured at Copperhead Island Park. Multiple suspects charged.
Notes and Disclaimers
- The 1906 Asheville case is very old; some sources list 6 dead (including the perpetrator) and 12 injured.
- The Greensboro Massacre has multiple sources; casualty counts vary slightly in different accounts.
- There may be additional smaller or less publicized shootings in NC that had 4+ victims (dead or wounded) that are not well documented online or are buried in local newspapers or archives.
- The counts above sometimes include the perpetrator; in other cases, they exclude. Some sources are ambiguous.