Press release from Asheville Police Department:
On the morning of March 31 at approximately 9:49 a.m., the Asheville Police Department (APD) responded to the area of 60 Court Plaza, located in downtown Asheville, to assist the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office with an active shooter.
The preliminary investigation shows that the shooter, who has been identified as Shane Tilman Kent (29), of Asheville, was armed with a 9mm handgun and fired shots at a law enforcement officer. Kent, who was previously known to law enforcement, was shooting from inside a Chevrolet SUV, of which he was not the registered owner. Deputies within the Buncombe County Courthouse responded to the scene immediately and confronted Kent, resulting in his death.
During the incident Buncombe County Sheriff’s Deputy, Lt. Dale Den Ouden, received a non-life threatening injury to his arm. He has been treated for his injury and released from Mission hospital. Lt. Den Ouden has served with the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office for 26 years and 8 months.
Since the incident occurred within the city limits of Asheville, APD oversaw the preliminary investigation. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation (NCSBI) has assumed the primary investigatory responsibility and the Asheville Police Department is assisting their agency as needed.
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.