Police: Trio arrested in Boxley Avenue shooting

FAYETTEVILLE — Police investigated a shooting at 1233 N. Boxley Ave. on Thursday evening.

Three men were arrested in connection with the shooting, according to preliminary arrest reports.

Walter Green, Stephan Perkins and Adrian Smith, all of Fayetteville, were arrested and were being held Friday in the Washington County Detention Center..

Police Sgt. Craig Stout said one man was taken by ambulance to Washington Regional Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries.

Stout said he didn’t know the man’s name as of 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Officers were called to 1233 N. Boxley Ave., at the corner of Boxley and Franciscan Trail, about 3 p.m. for a report of a disturbance.

A neighbor told police a group of men were outside arguing in the street, according to a 911 dispatch report.

“I saw six of them arguing in the street when I drove by earlier,” said Jess Parks, who lives on Franciscan Trail. “They were holding each other back.”

Parks said she was inside at 5:16 p.m. when she heard two loud “pops,” followed by six to eight more “one after the other.”

“I went outside and saw a guy laying in the front yard,” she said. “I saw shell casings on the ground. I didn’t want to get too close.”

Stout said four men were arrested Thursday night. He declined to release their names, but said additional information should be available today.

"There are bullet trajectories halfway up and down the street," he said. "It will take a while to sort this whole thing out."

Stout said a fifth man, who may have been involved, was also taken into custody. He reportedly had a warrant out of Texas.

Police are searching for a white male who was last seen fleeing the scene in a silver Isuzu Rodeo.

After the incident, nine police were parked near the home where the shooting occurred. The street and home were blocked off by yellow crime tape. More than a dozen neighbors gathered at the intersection and watched police question several men.

Stout said investigators were speaking with “everyone involved” in the incident.

“Apparently, there are two groups of folks on the same street who don’t like each other,” he said. “I don’t know what they were arguing about.”

Stout said the other men involved in the shooting reportedly live at 1195 Boxley Ave.

Janet Starling, who lives across the street, said she was in her garage when she heard “over 10 shots.”

“I saw that the police had about four men detained on the lawn,” she said. “One guy was holding his arm with a rag.”

Starling said she heard the men arguing earlier in the day. She said the gunfire sounded like “two guns firing at each other.”

Boxley is a dead-end street north of West Wedington Drive.

Parks said she wasn’t surprised to learn of a shooting in her neighborhood.

“There’s always drugs and violence going on around here,” she said. “I see people arguing in the street at least once a month.”

Kristi Bachman and her son, Justin Bachman, live on the other side of the duplex where the shooting was reported. They too heard the shots from inside their home. Justin Bachman said he ran outside and saw a silver or light blue midsized SUV speed from the scene.

“I saw a guy chasing the car and shouting out the license plate number,” he said. “I also saw a white truck with four bullet holes.”

The truck was parked in the driveway of 1233 N. Boxley Ave.

The Bachmans moved to Fayetteville two weeks ago from Farmington. Kristi Bachman said the men involved in the shooting moved into the other side of her duplex about a week ago.

“I’ve heard them arguing all day,” she said. “I didn’t know this area until I moved here. I’m already thinking about going back to Farmington.”

Andrea Cleary said she was surprised to learn about the shooting. She said she was thankful her children weren’t outside when shots were fired.

“This is not typical for this neighborhood,” she said. “We all just try to get along. It pisses me off because my kids could have been outside.”