Hickory Man Enters Plea, Gets Prison Time For 2025 Shooting Incident

A Hickory man will spend seven to nine years in prison following his conviction for assault and firearms-related offenses along with admission of habitual felon status during Catawba County Superior Court last Wednesday (January 28). The Honorable Sherri W. Elliott, Superior Court Judge from Catawba County, imposed terms of the active sentence after 56-year-old Donzell Lamont Wilfong entered a guilty plea to assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and possession of a firearm by a felon.

Wilfong also admitted to his habitual felon status stemming from prior felony convictions for a federal possession of cocaine charge in the Western District of North Carolina Court in Charlotte (August 1999), possession with intent to sell/deliver crack cocaine (January 1995) and conspiracy to sell or deliver cocaine (January 1991), both in Catawba County.

The defendant went to the male victim’s apartment on January 6, 2025, and an argument ensued. Several shots were heard, and the victim went back inside his apartment after suffering gunshot wounds. The victim told investigators from Hickory Police Department that he had not known Wilfong prior to the incident. When the defendant arrived, one of the victim’s children opened the door in response to a knock, and Wilfong pushed his way in before both parties went outside where the shooting started.

Investigators recovered shell casings at the scene and saw evidence of bullet damage. Wilfong submitted to officers at the scene and told them his weapon was on the ground. He was taken into custody, and the handgun was recovered. Ring camera video showed the defendant holding a firearm and captured portions of the exchange between the men, with the victim telling Wilfong he did not know him, along with two shots being fired, a pause and then four more gunshots.

Story: Rob Eastwood-WHKY