Garon Nathaniel Killian
20-year-old Garon Nathaniel Killian is charged with attempted first-degree murder. He was granted a $200,000 secured bond and ordered to wear a monitor if he was released.
Investigators have said that they believe there were multiple shooters at the party. One person died and 11 others were injured when gunshots rang out at a home on Walnut Acres Drive in Mountain View.
Witnesses said gunfire erupted at a large pool party around 12:45 a.m. Sunday. The event was promoted on social media and drew a crowd of about 100 people. “In my experience, this is a complicated scene. It spans several separate individual pieces of property … larger than 2 acres,” Aaron Turk, a major with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office, said. “More than 80 shots were fired.” Tuck also said he anticipates more arrests soon.
Detectives identified the person who was killed as 58-year-old Shawn Hood of Lenoir. Investigators believe he may have played a role in organizing or promoting the party. The victims range between the ages of 16 and 58.
Killian was also charged in another shooting in early April near the old Party City on Catawba County Valley Boulevard in Hickory.
Killian, along with Kylee Simpson, each face seven counts of attempted first-degree murder, charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, discharging a firearm within city limits, and going armed to the terror of the public.
Killian and Simpson were each issued a $100,000 bond for that shooting.
The Hickory Daily Record reported that 41 calls were placed to the Catawba County 911 Communications Center on Sunday referencing the mass shooting. Some of the 911 calls include people yelling and praying.
A Superior Court judge sealed the 911 calls on Tuesday, allowing the county to not release the recordings.
Calls placed to 911 are considered public records under North Carolina General Statues. District Attorney Scott Reilly’s office motioned to have the 911 calls sealed in order to protect the rights of any potential defendants and prevent any undermining of the active investigation.