One person was killed and 11 others were hurt when gunfire rang out at a party in Catawba County. Investigators say 80 rounds were fired during the shootout.
HICKORY, N.C. — Misty Kilby kept the doors to her hair salon locked as she cleaned on Sunday after a deadly mass shooting shattered the quiet of her small Mountain View community just hours earlier.
“I had to come up here and clean my salon on Sunday and I was so terrified,” Kilby, the owner of Hair It Is, said. “I kept the doors locked and everything I heard, I was like, ‘What is that?'”
RELATED: New $15K reward offered in Catawba County mass shooting investigation
One person died and 11 others were injured when gunfire erupted at a pool party early Sunday morning in the Mountain View area of Catawba County, according to the sheriff’s office. The shooting happened at around 12:45 a.m. along Walnut Acres Drive, where investigators say more than 80 shots were fired.
Some victims suffered gunshot wounds while others were injured fleeing the chaos, officials said. About 90 minutes before the shooting, law enforcement officers had visited the house because of a noise complaint.
“It’s just an uneasy feeling knowing that the people are still out there,” Kilby said. “You see big cities this is happening in, just not our little community. We didn’t ever think it could happen here.”
Kilby says she went to a party at that house in the past before it changed owners.
“Me and another coworker had been there for a pool party. Very nice house. Nice area,” Kilby said. “Just, not expected.”
Investigators have interviewed more than 70 people as they work to piece together what happened that night. Officials confirmed the home was not being used as a short-term rental property.
Still, there are many questions, including why the shooting started in the first place. Penny Goins, a stylist who works at Kilby’s salon, is among those puzzled by something happening in their small community.
“It’s still got that hometown feel, you know?” Goins said.
Now, she joins others in the community asking why.
“Like, what was the reason behind this?” Goins said. “It’s just tragic.”
The Catawba County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the shooting. Anyone with information is urged to contact the authorities.
The FBI announced Monday it is offering a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the case.
Contact Kayland Hagwood at [email protected] and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
