1 arrested in connection with mass shooting at house party

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — One person has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting at a pool party over the weekend in Catawba County.

Garon Nathaniel Killian, 20, was taken into custody on Tuesday, according to the sheriff’s office.

Killian has been charged with attempted first-degree murder. He is being held without bond in the Newton Detention Facility.

His first court appearance is expected tomorrow in Catawba County District Court.

This arrest comes after enforcement executed two search warrants Tuesday.

One search warrant was executed on Buck Oak Road east of Lincolnton, and the other in the Tremont Park neighborhood in Lenior.

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Channel 9’s Almiya White spoke with several neighbors along Buck Oak Road. They said police activity is very unusual in that area.

“That’s crazy; I’ve never seen the police over here like that,” said resident Aaron Lee.

“It’s a pretty quiet community, so I’m just saddened by the whole thing,” said resident Chuck Trantham.

Mountain View home investigation

Shawn Patrick Hood, 58, of Lenoir, died in the shooting, and nearly a dozen others were hurt. Four people remain hospitalized from the shooting on Walnut Acres Drive.

“We understand that he was there helping with the party promotion that was advertised on social media,” said Maj. Aaron Turk, with the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office. “And the theme centered around the pool that was there.”

The neighborhood where the house party happened remained blocked off Tuesday by law enforcement as the federal, state, and local investigators continued to collect evidence.

Investigators believe there were two shooters who may have walked into the Mountain View neighborhood and fired into the party from a wooded hillside behind the house at around midnight on Saturday. Authorities said they are making significant progress in the case.

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Witnesses said some people returned fire, which may have saved lives.

Channel 9’s Dave Faherty spoke with several people in the Mountainview community southwest of Hickory including a family who has farmed there for generations.

“I thought it was off,” said Marjorie Abernathy, a Mountain View resident. “I’ve never heard about anything like this in Mountain View. Never had this kind of problem. We have speeders on the highway but as far as guns and all this stuff, never.”

The Catawba County Sheriff’s Office shared drone video on Monday of the home where about 100 party-goers were at on Saturday night.

“There were so many guns,” neighbor Quenton Malone said. “Everyone was shooting at each other. The people that came and shot at the party. They actually had some issues with I think maybe the host.”

DRONE FOOTAGE: Scene of mass shooting on Walnut Acres Drive in Catawba County

DRONE FOOTAGE: Scene of mass shooting on Walnut Acres Drive in Catawba County Footage provided by the Catawba County Sheriff Office

Deputies are asking residents who live in the area to share surveillance video that was recorded Saturday night and early Sunday morning. The roads include Highway 127, Huffman Farm Road, and Pittstown Road.